The jokes are crass, and the conversations are even crasser, but the heart of Big Mouth isn’t its comedy. Big Mouth turns those scary moments of uncertainty into literal monsters that only the affected tween can see. Big Mouth gives its characters an entity to point to and blame for all of life’s mishaps; by shaping puberty as an unrelenting gargoyle, Big Mouth reinvigorates one of television’s most well-worn topics. Almost no one talked about Big Mouth in 2017, and that’s a downright shame. I h

The jokes are crass, and the conversations are even crasser, but the heart of Big Mouth isn’t its comedy. Big Mouth turns those scary moments of uncertainty into literal monsters that only the affected tween can see. Big Mouth gives its characters an entity to point to and blame for all of life’s mishaps; by shaping puberty as an unrelenting gargoyle, Big Mouth reinvigorates one of television’s most well-worn topics. Almost no one talked about Big Mouth in 2017, and that’s a downright shame. I h

Like many episodes of Black Mirror, “Arkangel” deals in ambiguity. [Warning: The following contains spoilers for the “Arkangel” episode from Black Mirror’s fourth season.] As traditional for Black Mirror, we’re left to wonder if it was the correct decision. It’s what Foster loves about the 90-minute episode Black Mirror structure; she can watch Marie change. The technology in Black Mirror isn’t always benevolent but at it’s core, most of it is about having more control over something.

The value of a Rotten Tomatoes score is once again a hot topic, thanks to a widening divide between how critics view a movie and how audiences see it. The latest movie to experience a noticeable difference from critics and fans is also one of Rotten Tomatoes’ biggest divides: Netflix’s Bright. Rotten Tomatoes’ method of data collection isn’t viewed in the same light. Dive into the actual audience reviews left on Rotten Tomatoes for any of the aforementioned films and there’s a consistent message

The developers of 4XM, a mod previously known as Super Smash Bros. Melee HD, are trying to recreate the beloved gameplay of Super Smash Bros. for GameCube in its Wii U sequel. As seen in the trailer for the beta release of the mod, and similar to the popular Project M mod, the goal of Super Smash Bros. Melee HD is to make Super Smash Bros. for Wii U play like Melee. That means Melee-style techniques like wave dashing, L-canceling, dash dancing, jump canceling, regrabs and Smash directional influ

The developers of 4XM, a mod previously known as Super Smash Bros. Melee HD, are trying to recreate the beloved gameplay of Super Smash Bros. for GameCube in its Wii U sequel. As seen in the trailer for the beta release of the mod, and similar to the popular Project M mod, the goal of Super Smash Bros. Melee HD is to make Super Smash Bros. for Wii U play like Melee. That means Melee-style techniques like wave dashing, L-canceling, dash dancing, jump canceling, regrabs and Smash directional influ

The World Health Organization (WHO) has made another step forward in formalizing the concept of video game addiction. Draft language published earlier this week would add an official description for “gaming disorder” to the WHO’s diagnostic manual for the first time. The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or

The World Health Organization (WHO) has made another step forward in formalizing the concept of video game addiction. Draft language published earlier this week would add an official description for “gaming disorder” to the WHO’s diagnostic manual for the first time. The behaviour pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. The pattern of gaming behaviour may be continuous or

This week’s Nintendo Switch eShop update — the last one of the year — is a bit disappointing compared to recent weeks. Most notable this week is the release of SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition, an updated version of the fan-favorite, turn-based strategy game. This marks SteamWorld Heist’s Switch debut, two years after it first won acclaim on Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo’s pumping up some of last week’s late-breaking releases, including Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros., an $8 re-release of the a

This week’s Nintendo Switch eShop update — the last one of the year — is a bit disappointing compared to recent weeks. Most notable this week is the release of SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition, an updated version of the fan-favorite, turn-based strategy game. This marks SteamWorld Heist’s Switch debut, two years after it first won acclaim on Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo’s pumping up some of last week’s late-breaking releases, including Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros., an $8 re-release of the a

SpongeBob SquarePants: Revenge of the Flying Dutchman may not ring a bell for anyone but the most hardcore fans of the Nickelodeon cartoon. “I decided to offer a bounty for the two strats for a couple different reasons,” Cosmeme told Polygon. Uncovering these solutions wouldn’t just benefit Cosmeme and his fellow SpongeBob fans who are constantly trying to break a game that he admits isn’t all that good, he explained. It would also help to promote Revenge of the Flying Dutchman as a speedrun for

You can’t roll in to Assassin’s Creed Origins expecting to be able to do all the same stuff you can do in every other Assassin’s Creed game. Like everything else in Assassin’s Creed Origins, it’s more complicated than you’d expect, and it takes some getting used to. Weapons are complicated (for an Assassin’s Creed game)You’ve likely seen all of the concepts behind the weapons in Assassin’s Creed Origins before in other games. We broke it all down further in our Assassin’s Creed Origins gear guid

He’s the child of a Jewish mother and a Texan, anti-Semitic father. Everybody I knew was Jewish on both sides, because even in my parents’ generation, a Jewish person not marrying another Jew was nearly blasphemous. A history of suffering“You have no idea what it’s like to suffer like I do,” B.J.’s father tells his mother. Zofia, his mother, blames Rip, his father, for squandering the family’s business, while Rip is furious because he saw B.J. “All matter of scum and sickly minds … doing everyth

And most importantly, do you know where sailors hang out? Humans have asked these questions for millennia, and in today’s Video Game Theatre, we ask these questions, too. Our actors have been preparing for the past seven months in order to fully inhabit the characters of Shenmue. But do we ever truly find the sailors? Watch the 2017 season finale of Video Game Theatre to find out.

In each episode of Quality Control, a Polygon editor talks to a critic after they review a new game, movie or piece of gear and allows them to add a little bit of extra context and insight. What do they wish they had been able to discuss in more depth in their review? For part two of our special episode, co-host Charlie Hall talks with entertainment editor Susana Polo about her review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This isn’t our first time doing a deep dive on the Star Wars movies:Quality Control

And yet, Street Fighter: The Movie managed to set one of the lowest bars imaginable. On this week’s episode of The History of Fun, Chris Plante shares the incredible true story of the creation of this truly awful movie, from the crazy casting decisions to the copious drug use to various sexcapades. Enjoying The History of Fun? New to The History of Fun? Every Monday, Russ Frushtick, Allegra Frank and Chris Plante explore the hidden backstories behind the things we love to do.

The team behind Star Citizen, the ambitious collection of spacefaring games, has shown the first section of extended gameplay for its single-player game, Squadron 42. Squadron 42, which has been sold separately from the multiplayer game since February 2016, is a stand-alone campaign featuring first-person action and in-cockpit dogfighting. Footage of Squadron 42 released this weekend includes a partial tour of a massive capital ship, which has been rendered in great detail featuring a crew quart

The team behind Star Citizen, the ambitious collection of spacefaring games, has shown the first section of extended gameplay for its single-player game, Squadron 42. Squadron 42, which has been sold separately from the multiplayer game since February 2016, is a stand-alone campaign featuring first-person action and in-cockpit dogfighting. Footage of Squadron 42 released this weekend includes a partial tour of a massive capital ship, which has been rendered in great detail featuring a crew quart

You can’t roll in to Assassin’s Creed Origins expecting to be able to do all the same stuff you can do in every other Assassin’s Creed game. Like everything else in Assassin’s Creed Origins, it’s more complicated than you’d expect, and it takes some getting used to. Weapons are complicated (for an Assassin’s Creed game)You’ve likely seen all of the concepts behind the weapons in Assassin’s Creed Origins before in other games. We broke it all down further in our Assassin’s Creed Origins gear guid

(We wrote all about the gear you pick up and how to improve it in our Assassin’s Creed Origins gear guide.) This guide will walk you through the other pieces of equipment you can upgrade, what they do and what you’ll have to do to get the required crafting materials. What you need to upgradeIn Assassin’s Creed Origins, each upgrade requires crafting materials. How to find crafting materialsFinding and collecting crafting materials is something that’s a constant while you play, whether you’re act