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American Express Sees Crypto as Asset Class — Says It’s Not a Near-Term Business Threat
Barstool Sports Blog Founder Dave Portnoy Spends a ‘Cool Million’ on 29 Bitcoin
Greenidge Crypto Mining Center Heads to South Carolina
Greenidge Generation Holdings – a crypto mining firm in Dresden, New York – says it’s going to invest approximately $264 million to establish a new data center in Spartanburg County in the state of South Carolina. The new center is slated to bring around 40 new jobs to the region. Greenidge Is Heading to S.C....
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Tori Zero NFT Project Launched a Joint Cooperation With BWL, the World’s Top Trendy Silver Jewelry Brand
Crypto.com Inks Multi-Year Deal With LeBron James and His Education-Focused Nonprofit
MicroStrategy: We’re Gonna Keep Buying BTC
MicroStrategy – the software giant that has made a name for itself purchasing bitcoin over the last year and a half – says that despite bitcoin falling to new price lows this week, the company is going to continue its BTC buying habits and it will likely purchase even more of the world’s number one...
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Whale Watch: A Deep Dive Into the Concentrations of Large Crypto Holders
OCS: 5 unique cannabis products new in Ontario
Five new and unique products from the OCS’s latest drop that you should know about.
The post OCS: 5 unique cannabis products new in Ontario appeared first on Leafly.
How Virgil Grant shaped social equity for the city of Los Angeles
Find out how Virgil Grant made his stamp on Los Angeles' social equity program despite setbacks and incarceration.
The post How Virgil Grant shaped social equity for the city of Los Angeles appeared first on Leafly.
Outrageous GPU street prices analyzed: What you’re getting for your cash
It would be a massive understatement to say no one is happy with the prices gamers are paying for graphics cards today. Sure, Nvidia's new GeForce RTX 3050 and AMD's new Radeon RX 6500 XT sport suggested $250 and $200 price tags, respectively, but as you know you're not touching those cards right now for anywhere near that cheap during the ongoing GPU shortage.
Who benefits, where the money is going, and the true meaning of MSRPs isn't what we're discussing today though. Instead, in the interest of lazy Fridays, we wanted to take a quick look at the marked-up prices GPUs are going for compared to their MSRP, and how much performance you're getting with the jacked costs factored into it. We also wanted to show what you're missing out on when you're paying exorbitant markup prices, by showing just how much bleeding-edge DDR5 memory or luxurious Apple monitor stands you could've bought if graphics cards were selling for sane prices, instead.
Real-world GPU prices vs. performance
But first, the performance comparison. We searched popular hardware retailer Newegg for GPU models that were in stock and in new condition and grabbed the price for the most affordable listing we could find. All of the cards indicated they would ship directly from Newegg, but weren't necessarily sold by Newegg. Like other retailers, Newegg will sell you a product that is actually being stocked by a partner store. Like any hot item, prices fluctuate greatly, so the prices today may or may not exactly match what we found this week. Pricing may also be different at other retailers, or on user-sale sites like Ebay.
We then compared public figures in 3DMark Time Spy's GPU test against the marked-up price. While Time Spy isn't based on a game engine, it's a respected and popular synthetic benchmark. It's also highly consistent and nearly all GPU-based, so the CPU and most other components don't factor in to it. You can see the notes we generated below.
IDG
The lowest markup we found this week was AMD's much-maligned, but not highly marked-up Radeon RX 6500 XT, a card selling for “only” 31 percent over its $199 MSRP. The worst is the Radeon RX 5700, which is out of production but obviously still in high-demand with a 329 percent markup over its $349 MSRP. Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 is also a hot item, going for 207 percent over its $329 MSRP. The surprise “deal” is AMD's Radeon RX 6600, which is going for “only” $131 more than its $329 MSRP, for a markup of 40 percent. If you have a spare $1,500, you'd only be paying 50 percent over markup for the Radeon RX 6900 XT, which would actually be a steal. Well, steal as in “still an armed robbery of your wallet.” But that's better than the soaking other GPUs would give you to walk out the door with them.
But how much performance are you getting post-markup? To get a general feel for it we looked at public scores for 3DMark Time Spy and represent just how many “3DMarks” you get per penny. No surprise, the cards being gouged the hardest give you the worst performance-per-cent post-markup. The GeForce RTX 3060 costs you 11.5 cents per 3DMark. Despite being stupidly fast, the GeForce RTX 3090 is priced so high on the streets that it's actually giving you terrible relative performance, costing 13.9 cents per 3DMark point.
Before you put too much stock in this chart you should know that 3DMark Time Spy is not the end-all, be-all in graphics tests. You will different performance depending on the benchmark or game obviously. But what's killing the GeForce RTX 3090 is its sky-high $2,800 price.
IDG
One other interesting data point jumps out from this chart. PCWorld's GPU reviewer, Brad Chacos, points out the generally lower cent per 3DMark that most of AMD's 6000-series cards demand. They're generally quite a bit kinder than Nvidia's GeForce cards and even AMD's older Radeon RX 5000-series cards. There may be brand-value costs associated with that, or simply their lower demand by miners. Chacos points out that most Ethereum mining benefits from more memory bandwidth and with the 6000 lineup, AMD was able to stick with smaller memory buses (and thus lower overall memory bandwidth) since its radical on-GPU Infinity Cache feature makes up for it in games. That Infinity Cache, however, doesn't help with Ethereum mining much, so it again points to the problem with GPU demand today largely at the feet of miners.
GPU markups vs. DDR5 and Apple
So what does that markup cost you in lost opportunity? We decided to see by finding out how many Apple monitor stands you could buy based on the markup over MSRP of the cards. Why Apple's monitor stand? Because Apple stunned even its own hardcore fanbase when it released a monitor stand that costs $1,000. Yes, a monitor stand for $1,000. The markup on the Radeon RX 6500 XT ($61) would get you 0.06 of an Apple Monitor Stand. If you could buy a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti at its MSRP though, you could have taken the $933 you saved and almost bought one whole Apple monitor stand!
IDG
Since few people can relate to a $1,000 monitor stand, we decided to see how much cutting-edge DDR5 memory you could buy if you didn't have to pay the ludicrous gouged prices on graphics cards. When it was first introduced, DDR5 pricing was equally over the top, but it's come back to earth of late and is so cheap that if you didn't have to pay the steep mark-up on a GeForce RTX 3050, you could have bought 5.35 8GB Crucial DDR5/4800 DIMMs (or 40GB and some change) of bleeding-edge, ultra-fast RAM. For the markup a retail GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will fetch, you could outfit systems with 96GB of DDR5.
IDG
The Best Nintendo Switch Online Games
One of the best perks of Nintendo Switch Online is the ability to play dozens upon dozens of classic Nintendo games on Switch. At the time of writing, there are more than 100 SNES and NES games on the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) service ($4/month, $8/3 months, $20/year), and an additional batch of Nintendo 64 games and Sega Genesis games in the NSO Expansion Pass ($30/year), with more on the way. The service also includes helpful features like optional save states for all the games available, rewinding your gameplay for NES, SNES, and Genesis, and unique versions of some games that start you out with end-game stats and gear so you can blast through each level.
A collection of more than 135 retro games (and counting) means there's a lot to parse. While many of the included titles are among the best games ever, there are some clunkers in the mix, too. For anyone wondering which of these games are worth your time, we picked a bunch of titles across the service's four available console libraries that we think represent the best on the service.
That said, just because your favorite isn’t listed doesn’t mean we think it’s unworthy. There are so many amazing retro games available on NSO, more than we have space to list. So think of this as a starting point for anyone unfamiliar with Nintendo’s (and now Sega’s) legacy catalog.
NES
Kirby’s Adventure
Kirby’s Adventure is the cute pink puff ball's first game on home console, and the follow up to 1992’s Kirby’s Dream Land on Game Boy. It’s also the game that introduced many of Kirby’s now-iconic abilities. Like in other 2D action-platformers, Kirby runs and jumps over obstacles and give baddies the boot, but he can also inflate himself to float over danger, or inhale enemies then spit them out as star-shaped projectiles that can hurt enemies and destroy objects. He can also gain special abilities by absorbing certain items and enemies, which opens up new paths and secrets hidden in each of the game’s 41 levels.
See our Kirby's Adventure review.
The Legend of Zelda
The original Legend of Zelda is a surprisingly open-ended adventure that still holds up today.
Zelda 1 features recognizable elements in its story and gameplay, such as a secret-packed overworld, numerous dungeons and bosses to overcome, and an array of items that unlock new abilities. However, unlike many of its sequels, most of Zelda 1 can be tackled in any order. And once you beat the game, you unlock a “Second Quest” mode that remixes the locations of dungeons and treasure for a totally new experience. Just be warned that there’s very little hand-holding in the original adventure compared to later entries in the series. Stumbling into strong enemies or impassable obstacles too early can be frustrating, but players are free to explore as they please and there’s something to discover on almost every screen, making your progress feel more genuine.
See our Legend of Zelda review.
Punchout!!
Speaking of NES games whose influence is still apparent in gaming today, the next NES game you should play on NSO is Punchout. This 1v1 proto-fighting game has elements of rhythm and puzzle games, and inspired everything from Street Fighter and fighting games in general, to action games with deliberate combat like Dark Souls and Monster Hunter. No, seriously.
Punchout Is all about timing and patience. Each opponent in the game’s roster has a unique fighting style and a unique personality to match. Your opponent will telegraph their moves with small tells that you need to memorize so you can respond with the proper counter move or dodge. Timing is also important, as some of the animations are quick and hard to spot, and your window of opportunity is short. Punchout is a tough game to master (and some of its characters are woefully outdated stereotypes), but the unique gameplay is still worth experiencing today--and hey, you can always use NSO’s built-in rewind feature for an easier playthrough.
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. wassn’t the first Mario game on NES, but it was Nintendo’s mustachioed plumber’s first full 2D platforming adventure.
Even if you’ve never played Super Mario Bros, you probably know what to expect: The evil turtle King Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach, and Mario’s gotta save her by running left and jumping on things. The plumber can consume mushrooms that make him bigger and stronger, use fire flowers to throw fireballs, or collect stars that make him temporarily invincible. Super Mario Bros. still holds up today, but if you want some more variety in your platforming...
See our Super Mario Bros. review.
Super Mario Bros. 3
If you’re going to play just one game in NSO’s NES collection, it should be Super Mario Bros. 3.
Super Mario Bros. 3 is arguably the best game on NES, and still one of the best 2D platformers ever made. It outshines all previous Mario games and, frankly, many of the games that came after. It’s also notable for refining and cementing many elements the series is still known for, such as the Tanooki Suit and Super Leaf power-ups, sectioning levels into “worlds” with specific themes, and characters like the Koopalings. There’s also an SP version that starts at the final stage of the game, and lets players select from one of eight different power-up boxes for extra help.
See our Super Mario Bros. 3 review.
SNES
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2 refined the core gameplay ideas introduced in the first Donkey Kong Country and added unique elements that make for a better game than the original.
Like in the original, players control a tag-team of two characters exploring dangerous levels set in a variety of tropical lands, but you won’t be playing as the titular Donkey Kong this time. Instead, Donkey Kong Country 2 is the first game in the series to give Diddy Kong the starring role--but he’s not alone. Diddy’s pal Dixie Kong joins him on a quest to save Donkey Kong from the clutches of series villain King K. Rool. You can play the entire game solo or with a partner, and there’s tons of secret items and bonus levels to discover, adding plenty of replay value to this charming 2D platformer.
See our Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest review.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
A Link to the Past set the structure that almost every Zelda would follow for the next 20-plus years.
Like the two previous Zelda titles, players controlled the hero Link on his adventure across Hyrule to defeat Ganon and save Princess Zelda. However, A Link to the Past is more guided and story-driven than the first Zelda, ditches the RPG mechanics Zelda II experimented with, and took dungeons from enemy-filled gauntlets into puzzle-filled labyrinths with unique themes, resulting in a well-paced adventure.
That formula would remain core to the series’ gameplay until 2017’s Breath of the Wild, but A Link to the Past’s gameplay loop was novel, and a refreshing change for the action-adventure genre at the time. It’s considered by many to be the best Zelda game, and it's easily one of the best games on SNES.
See our Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past review.
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart wasn’t the first arcade racer with combative powerups, but it was certainly the most notable. It paved the way for the franchise’s dominance as the best-selling games on nearly every subsequent Nintendo console and handheld. Fans of modern Mario Kart may be initially disappointed by the SNES game’s lack of kart customization options and slimmer roster of racers and tracks compared to other games in the series, but Super Mario Kart is still a joy to play. It’s a pure arcade racer that doesn’t need gameplay gimmicks or excessive customization to hold your attention.
Star Fox
Star Fox was one of the first fully-3D console games, and one of the few games on the SNES to take full advantage of the Super FX chip--the first-ever 3D rendering chip available on a home gaming console. While not as pretty as future Star Fox games or the rail shooters that came after, the original Star Fox was a mind-blowing leap in video game graphics. To be fair, Star Fox 64 (which is available in the NSO Expansion Pack's N64 library) is basically a 1-to-1 remake of the SNES game's story, gameplay, and music, and is arguably a much better game, but the SNES version is still fun and worth playing if you’re a fan of Fox McCloud and crew. And if you need more space shooting goodness, Star Fox 2--which was originally canceled just after the game was finished and left unreleased for decades--is also available on NSO.
Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario All-Stars is a collection of the original Super Mario Bros trilogy on the NES, plus Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan) on a single cartridge. All four games in the compilation were remade for the SNES with new graphics, controls, extra content, and more. Some have argued that the remakes are inferior to the originals, but they are easier on the eyes and have better controls. But hey, if you really want to play the original versions, they’re available in NSO’s NES library.
Super Mario World
Look, we know we keep calling the Mario games on this list some of the “best games ever made,” but for many, Super Mario World is the best.
Super Mario World was the first all-new Mario game on the SNES and the immediate sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3. World built upon everything Mario Bros. 3 excelled at--specifically the excellent level design, pacing, and responsive controls--and expanded the formula with bigger levels filled with secrets that encouraged players to replay and explore more than any prior game in the series.
Super Mario World was also the first game in the series to feature Yoshi as Mario’s rideable companion, as well as all-new power ups, enemy types, and gameplay mechanics that make World an incredibly deep game. And topping it all off is the richly detailed 16-bit sprites the perfectly capture the “feeling” of Mario, and an amazing soundtrack from series composer Koji Kondo.
If you only have time to play one Mario game in the NSO collection, it should be Super Mario World.
See our Super Mario World review.
Super Metroid
Super Metroid is a masterpiece of non-linear level design, atmospheric story presentation, and 2D action-platforming. The game starts strong with players controlling the intergalactic bounty hunter, Samus Aran, investigating a distress call from Ceres space station. As you quickly find out, almost all life on the station has been killed by space pirates and their leader, Ridley, who are after the last known Metroid--a parasitic organism that saps the life energy from its prey. Samus follows the space pirates down to the planet Zebes, the setting of the original Metroid.
From there, the game never lets up. Players explore a winding labyrinth of seamlessly interconnected levels, collecting power ups that bolster Samus’ arsenal with new weapons and abilities that unlock more of the map to explore, while the eerie (but catchy) soundtrack and atmospheric sound design create an engrossing atmosphere.
There’s a reason this game inspired a massively popular sub-genre that bears the Metroid franchise’s name, and why Super Metroid is often considered the best game in the series. Everyone should play it and find out why.
See our Super Metroid review.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is a strange game. A good game, mind, but a strange one. It’s technically the second entry in the World series, but is a major departure from the established gameplay and art style of previous Mario games. The most notable change is that you play as Yoshi--an entire pack of multi-colored Yoshis, actually. Mario is still here, but as a baby the Yoshis are escorting back to his parents (while also saving baby Luigi along the way).
Controlling Yoshi is also a departure from Mario’s purely jump-focused skills and power-ups. Yoshi can eat enemies to turn them into eggs, throw said eggs at enemies and obstacles, and jump longer distances than Mario ever could thanks to his floaty double-jump. In turn, Yoshi’s Island’s level design differs from other Mario games to accommodate the dinosaur sidekick’s unique kit, offering a more exploratory, puzzle-platformer structure.
Nintendo 64
Sin & Punishment
It’s hard to recommend many games in the NSO N64 collection due to the subpar emulation for Nintendo’s fifth generation console, but there is one N64 game every NSO Expansion Pack subscriber should play: Sin & Punishment.
Sin & Punishment is an on-rails sci-fi shooter that was originally exclusive to Japan, but gained a cult following in the west from the import crowd. Nintendo finally made it available to other territories in 2007 via the Wii Virtual Console, but with the Wii’s shopping services long-since shuttered, the NSO Expansion Pack is the only way to play this game today (aside from buying an expensive copy on the used retro market). And you should definitely play Sin & Punishment. It’s a gorgeous game for the time, with face-paced gameplay that remains buttery smooth from start to finish. It’s a quick playthrough, too, only lasting about 2 hours depending on how quickly you get through each stage, but Sin & Punishment’s unique levels and high score-chasing incentives provide plenty of replayability for those who want to spend more time with the game.
Sega Genesis
Gunstar Heroes
If you’re looking for a fast-paced run-and-gun shooter from the 16-bit era, Gunstar Heroes should be near the top of your list. This action-platformer is often regarded as one of the best in the genre and one of the best games on Sega Genesis in general. Critics lauded the fast-paced gameplay, varied level designs, and lush graphics at the time, and those elements still hold up well today.
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium
Phantasy Star was Sega’s answer to Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and while the series never caught on as widely as its competitors, the early games are among the best JRPGs ever made. Phantasy Star IV is by far the pinnacle of the entire franchise. It was lauded for its unique science-fantasy setting, deep combat system, and manga-inspired cutscene presentation.
Simply put: every RPG fan needs to play Phantasy Star IV. Don’t be intimidated by the “IV” in the title, though. While Phantasy Star IV concludes the series' storyline, you don’t need to play the other games to understand what’s going on. Phantasy Star IV is set 1,000 years after the previous games, featuring a unique cast of characters on a mostly standalone adventure to save the Algol star system that will stick with you long after the final boss is defeated.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic 2 is a bigger and faster evolution of the original game’s 2D platforming gameplay, and many cite Sonic the Hedgehog 2 as the pinnacle of the Blue Blur’s cartridge-based games. This is also where series-staple elements were introduced for the first time, such as Sonic’s now-iconic spin dash move, the pseudo-3D “special stages,” and--most importantly--Sonic’s trusty sidekick Tails as the second playable character. Tails tags along with Sonic in single player mode, or a second player can take control of the double-tailed fox in split screen mode.
See our Sonic the Hedgehog 2 review.
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 2 is yet another game on this list that many consider the pinnacle of its respective genre--in this case, 2D beat-'em-ups. Players select one of the four playable characters: Axel, Blaze, Max, and Eddie. Each of the brawlers has their own unique look and fighting style, plus three difficulty levels to choose from, giving this brawler lots of replay incentive in either single or two-player mode.
Streets of Rage 2 was also a showcase of the Sega Genesis’ hardware strengths. The large, detailed sprites were some of the best in the 16-bit era, and the soundtrack from famed composer Yuzo Koshiro took full advantage of the console’s Yamaha YM2612 soundchip.
See our Streets of Rage 2 review.
AstroSwap Launching on Velas Mainnet, why ASTRO will Crush BTC in 2022
AstroSwap, a high-profile DEX, just launched on the Velas mainnet today, January 28th 2022. According to details of a recent press release, AstroSwap’s ASTRO will likely continue its exemplary performance of the past few months. Traders and ASTRO holders have already experienced, first hand, how fast prices can move, explaining the thrill ahead of the...
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