Sign in

Jon Irwin

@winwinirwin.bsky.social
722 followers 159 following 1.6K posts

Writer/Teacher. Words in Kill Screen, Paste, Men's Health, The Atlantic, Billboard, Variety, Washington Post, Inverse and more. about.me/jonirwinis

PostsRepliesMedia
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Am I crazy for kind of preferring the more organic (less readable) damage effects, pre-update? There was a subtle sound cue that told you if you were hitting a weak point... I liked that it felt more like a real encounter than a "videogame boss with flashing limbs"
000
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Luke O'Neil @lukeoneil47.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
If you want "personalized music" made just for you pick up a fucking guitar. Or else break the heart of someone who already has.
121362219
Reposted by Jon Irwin
NamaTakahashi @namataka.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I feel like the history of The Legend of Zelda is also the history of puzzles.
0163
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
If I didn’t see this myself in person, I wouldn’t believe it exists. And yet there it is.
030
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I just drove 5.1 km in the free in-browser version and, yes, that is an enjoyable time. The truck vehicle style reminds me of the trailer in Stunt Race FX.
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Like the writer, I don't use a prepared script when teaching and instead try to respond organically to what's happening in the room. So I value that approach. BUT: He lost me when he added this near the end. No, AI will not "contribute some of its own [thoughts.]" www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/o...
"A.I. will write summaries of our thoughts and may contribute some of its own." 

From Joe Cruz's "What if Writing Isn't Central to Thinking?", for the New York Times Op-Ed section.
010
Reposted by Jon Irwin
michael röbbins @alienvsrobbins.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I asked a student how much she paid to see Harry Styles. She said, sheepishly, "Less than a thousand." You could go to Paris for less than a thousand, youngsters, come on
182
Reposted by Jon Irwin
VHS Vault @vhsvault.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Trailer : 55s
02711
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I loved the new Yoshi game. But then I watched my kiddos play & was delighted to find out 1) I was playing it wrong and 2) they really want sentient flowers to be happy. Thanks @patrickklepek.bsky.social for letting me hang w/ the @crossplayblog.bsky.social crowd www.crossplay.news/p/yoshi-and-...
crossplay.news
Yoshi and the Mysterious Playstyles of Children
My sons are playing Nintendo’s latest Yoshi game much different than I am, and likely closer to how it was intended to be played.
0329
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I don’t even like Halo but this is a beautiful/funny/important thing that exists and yes, you should read it. Especially if you’ve been here* for awhile. *By “here” I mean Earth
052
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Maybe I just haven't been on the conference circuit long enough to notice, but I really dig the Music Festival-style poster design here but with Writers instead of Bands.
010
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Matt Bell @mdbell79.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Every time I read the word “efficiency” (or worse, hear it in a meeting), I think of Wendell Berry: “The standard of the exploiter is efficiency; the standard of the nurturer is care.”
04010
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Anybody dismissing WARIOWARE: MOVE IT (or any other motion-controlled game for that matter) as "too casual" is contractually obligated to play "Super Hard" mode and get at least 100 points youtu.be/OAgVJDpqUx0?...
youtu.be
WarioWare: Move It! - Super Hard - 100+ Points!
YouTube video by Unovi
021
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Mike Sacks @mikebsacks.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It’s the first official day of FALL!! It’s the official change of seasons! Which can only mean one thing! A coked out Steve Walsh of Kansas playing every instrument on stage while wearing yellow gym shorts!!!
1153
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
BitMob was a haven for me as a grad student back in 2008. Didn't really know where or how to write about games. Then something I wrote got into GamePro magazine, the same magazine I subscribed to as a child. Wild times.
120
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
You have an hour left to live. Cameron's seeing a really good set for 30 minutes and saving 30 minutes for "some other things." Learn more about him and his game "sidechain" here. (With a bonus mention of @beetleeggblues.bsky.social) www.killscreen.com/cameron-gran...
killscreen.com
Cameron Granger built a party for the end of the world
Granger spent a decade making art before he made a game. His first is a warehouse party with 10 minutes left, and you are the Angel of History.
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
First time I've heard new NOA prez Devon Pritchard speak at length and she seems comfortable in the position. Also love seeing @variety.com paying attention to the gaming sphere more once again. Key Takeaway: "If you can catch 'em, you can hug 'em." variety.com/2026/gaming/...
variety.com
Nintendo of America President on Switch 2 Life Cycle and ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Anniversary Plans: ‘This Is Just Beginning’
It's a big year for Nintendo of America -- and it's about to get bigger.
111
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Boss Fight Books @bossfightbooks.com · 20/09/2026
Happy birthday to the great Untitled Goose Game, which came out on September 20, 2019! Read James O'Connor's book on the making of the game based on original interviews with the devs: bossfightbooks.com/products/unt... #gamedev #indiegames #goosegame
bossfightbooks.com
Untitled Goose Game by James O'Connor
Release Date: January 28, 2025ISBN: 978-1-940535-36-4200 pages It's a beautiful day in the village, and you are a horrible goose, ready to wreak charming havoc on the weary locals. You'll ruin their…
1173
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Some thoughts on the latest GameFile from @stephentotilo.bsky.social: -feature film of Crazy Taxi is dumb and anyway there's already the superior and original TAXI (1998) written & produced by director of Fifth Element www.gamefile.news/p/the-video-... www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJXn...
youtube.com
Taxi (1998) | trailer
YouTube video by MDB trailers
120
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Claire L. Evans @theuniverse.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
on double vinyl you say??
0122
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Frank Cifaldi @frankcifaldi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I love the videos we've started producing this year, where @jtsknight92.bsky.social finds something interesting in our library and goes down a rabbit hole, teaching you how to research along the way. Also, look at the comments! It turns out intelligent content builds intelligent communities, weird.
youtube.com
Takumi Kawagoe - Camera Systems, Cinematics, and Defeating Ganondorf
YouTube video by The Video Game History Foundation
110324
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The Fortune's Weave reviews confirm my suspicion: It's just too much for me. Too big. Too long. I gladly paid full retail price for Yoshi and left satisfied & delighted, 25 hours later. I don't want to be on the hook for another hundred.
120
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Once again @jakesteinberg.substack.com is writing some useful pushback against the flaccid criticism out there. Don't tell us the buttons work! Tell us about your specific experience! jakesteinberg.substack.com/p/perfectly-...
jakesteinberg.substack.com
Perfectly Functional
The Disappearing Critic
3134
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Boss Fight Books @bossfightbooks.com · 14/09/2026
The deluxe hardcover edition of AGE OF EMPIRES by @mossrc.bsky.social is now up for preorders from our own site. And the ebook edition is available RIGHT NOW. bossfightbooks.com/products/age...
bossfightbooks.com
Age of Empires (Deluxe Hardcover Edition) by Richard Moss (Preorder No
Based on interviews with 29 former Ensemble and Microsoft executives and staff, documentarian Richard Moss tells the story of how a scrappy team of first-time developers partnered with the biggest tech company in the world on a game that would test the brothers’ relationship like nothing before.
4138
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
3 Sonic games in front of Rogue Leader just seems wrong
000
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Nintendo Patents Watch @ninpatentswatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Scratching my head over influencers calling OOT Link “AI” and Epona “yassified”. It seems stemming from a lack of art critique vocabulary or limited frame of reference outside of pop culture. Apart from OOT being a pun on ceramic ocarina, Aonuma said that the visual is to evoke nostalgia (懐かしさ). 1/
Side-by-side comparison of characters in Ocarina of Time remake to ceramic figurines:
In-game child Link vs. smiling child figurine
https://item.rakuten.co.jp/reference/e-260728-13/
In-game pony Epona vs. large-eyed pony figurine
https://www.lladro.com/en_us/baby-horse-figurine-en-us-01009029.html
Link Amiibo vs. sitting boy figurine
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4400642614/vintage-boy-figurine-signed-tired-ah1k
Zelda Amiibo vs sitting girl figurine
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1394819363/lladro-flower-harmony-children-with
20695205
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Also, is Kirby's Dream Buffet worth $10, yea or nay
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Walk me away from the ledge, gang. www.nintendo.com/us/store/pro...
nintendo.com
Nintendo Sound Clock Alarmo™ - Nintendo Official Site
Wake up to Nintendo sounds and characters with Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo™, an interactive alarm clock that brings a playful touch to your day.
010
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Cheap Ass Gamer @cheapassgamer.com · 13/09/2026
Virtual Boy (Cardboard Model) for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch $17.49 via Nintendo Store. Nintendo Switch Online required. ow.ly/bAl350ZN0MQ Better Model $69.99 ow.ly/GzOa50ZN0ML
0105
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
🚨
050
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Here's a 44-slide deck about WHAT IS COOL by @exmove.bsky.social who is so cool they haven't even made one single post here yet (complimentary). docs.google.com/presentation...
docs.google.com
EX Research_Cool Is A Skill Issue
COOL IS A SKILL ISSUE A trend report by EX Research Q3 2026
001
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I read every one. Tough but fair. James has rendered us all an important service.
020
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Captions Off, folks. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Who Says Reading Is Dead?
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Today's Writing Work Accomplished: After much consideration and gnashing of teeth, I've successfully changed an "!" to a "."
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Okay. I’m doing it. I’m going dark. Preparing to be disappointed. But at least I’ll have that delicious anticipation, of Not Knowing, for just a bit longer.
000
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Liz Bushouse @lizbushouse.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Happy 40th anniversary to the Legend of Zelda series! Want to know more about the English localizations of these games and who brought them to us? Here's a thread! Starting with Dan Owsen, who worked on Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, and Ocarina of Time.
The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary logo/image, depicting a green and gold banner with the Hylian crest on top, the words "40th The Legend of Zelda" beneath, and a pixelated NES Link swinging a wooden sword.
313482
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
A quandary. I teach today at 2pm. The room has a giant projector. Do I go radio silent, not pay attention online for the next four hours, and then watch the Direct on the wall after the students are gone? I want to do this. I just don’t know if the will is there.
020
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
The first time I played Ocarina of Time, it was 2011 and I was a few years out of grad school. SPOILER: includes the passage "I held the glistening package in my hand, expectant and ready" www.killscreen.com/everybodys-d...
killscreen.com
Everybody's Doing It
Jon Irwin explores the sensual anxiety of playing Ocarina for the first time.
000
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Mike Drucker @mikedrucker.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
(me playing Ocarina of Time in 1998) “This is good, but it would be perfect if they could make Link look moist”
1555358
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Before the onslaught of FUTURE games announced tomorrow, remember you can always just go buy "Blood Dungeon" which is available RIGHT NOW. Also I need a custom version of @messhof.bsky.social's coffee mug as seen on @tuckerhazell.bsky.social's Dev Dives video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuQQ...
Messhof drinking from a "SUPER DADDIO" mug while Tucker pets his cat
010
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Still the best Zelda aesthetic
Nintendo Land: Battle Quest! (Wii U)
030
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I sopped up some water on the ground and—! Today the Ocarina is everywhere
Towel with mysterious ocarina-shaped water spot
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Am I going to buy a physical Ocarina? NO nooo, of course not. Am I going to keep my slide whistle next to me and play Saria's Song IRL to make a thing happen in a game? You bet yer ass
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I shouldn't be. Lord knows I shouldn't be. But I'm kinda shocked at the general angst on display? I watched for 30min, was like "Okay! Cool!" then sidled over into the timeline and I'm seeing grenades tossed left & right. When the dust clears, y'all gonna be in line on 11/5. Sheesh.
030
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Keza gets it
000
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Jay gets it
010
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Always fascinating to read early takes on games/franchises that would become nearly synonymous with an entire industry. LoZ: featuring "PAUSE" functionality!
100
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
My 2 questions about the upcoming Zelda Direct: -Will there be a title, either a collection or smaller project, that's presented as a Switch 1 game? (I think YES) -Will Drag x Drive get special Zelda 40th Anniversary DLC with a Hyrulian arena and special skins for your wheelchair robots? (MAYBE??)
010
Reposted by Jon Irwin
Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW @molleindustria.org · 07/09/2026
People keep asking us if they should buy Future? No Thanks! or pre-order GTA VI so we made a quick guide:
GTA VI vs Future? No Thanks! comparison chart
10478132
Jon Irwin @winwinirwin.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Nathan Fielder (2026)Jack Nicholson (1980)
010