Ever curious about where the Mario Kart franchise started? In this week’s episode of The History of Fun, Polygon’s new weekly podcast, we explore the hidden backstory behind Super Mario Kart. We know, it’s not the most well-loved of the Mario Kart games. Enjoying The History of Fun? Every Monday, Russ Frushtick, Allegra Frank and Chris Plante explore the hidden backstories behind the things we love to do.

If you were thinking that the level of distrust between Destiny 2’s player base and developer Bungie couldn’t get any higher, think again. The latest controversy to roil the Destiny community hit over the weekend, and Bungie is on its heels once more in front of an angry mob of dissatisfied, frustrated players. Destiny players will remember this consumable, which provides a boost to your chances of receiving an exotic engram from an activity that can drop them. However, Bungie has never provided

If you were thinking that the level of distrust between Destiny 2’s player base and developer Bungie couldn’t get any higher, think again. The latest controversy to roil the Destiny community hit over the weekend, and Bungie is on its heels once more in front of an angry mob of dissatisfied, frustrated players. Destiny players will remember this consumable, which provides a boost to your chances of receiving an exotic engram from an activity that can drop them. However, Bungie has never provided

Any doubts I had about Kylo Ren as a Star Wars villain after seeing The Force Awakens evaporated the moment The Last Jedi ended. Director Rian Johnson strips Kylo Ren down to his core: a young man who’s terrified of the world around him. Kylo Ren wants to be feared, because he wants to be respected for who he is, not what his legacy proclaims him to be. What I love most about Kylo Ren’s character, however, is his obvious sadness and vulnerability. I see Kylo Ren as a fantastic villain because hi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi booked $220 million over its first weekend, second to its predecessor The Force Awakens for best debut weekend of all time. The Last Jedi’s $104.7 million opening day on Friday is also second all-time to The Force Awakens, which did $119.1 million when it premiered Dec. 18, 2015, and then $247.9 million for its first weekend. The weekend total and Sunday total for The Last Jedi is a projection, but reported by multiple sites. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now the fourth fi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi booked $220 million over its first weekend, second to its predecessor The Force Awakens for best debut weekend of all time. The Last Jedi’s $104.7 million opening day on Friday is also second all-time to The Force Awakens, which did $119.1 million when it premiered Dec. 18, 2015, and then $247.9 million for its first weekend. The weekend total and Sunday total for The Last Jedi is a projection, but reported by multiple sites. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now the fourth fi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of the top-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes, according to critics, but scroll down the movie’s page a little further and audience testimonies tell a different story. When asked by Polygon whether Rotten Tomatoes was worried about attacks on The Last Jedi, a representative for the company said the website is closely monitoring the situation. Similar to other movie sites, we’re currently experiencing a high volume of fan activity around Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of the top-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes, according to critics, but scroll down the movie’s page a little further and audience testimonies tell a different story. When asked by Polygon whether Rotten Tomatoes was worried about attacks on The Last Jedi, a representative for the company said the website is closely monitoring the situation. Similar to other movie sites, we’re currently experiencing a high volume of fan activity around Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The

Rising Thunder, the indie fighting game canceled in its alpha phase of development in 2016, will live on through one final build, with open-source server code, the game’s developers said today. The build will be called Rising Thunder: Community edition and developer Radiant Entertainment is leaving it in the hands of the community to continue to play and improve. Rising Thunder was announced in 2015; its development team has a rich pedigree in the fighting games community. Tom and Tony Cannon, w

Rising Thunder, the indie fighting game canceled in its alpha phase of development in 2016, will live on through one final build, with open-source server code, the game’s developers said today. The build will be called Rising Thunder: Community edition and developer Radiant Entertainment is leaving it in the hands of the community to continue to play and improve. Rising Thunder was announced in 2015; its development team has a rich pedigree in the fighting games community. Tom and Tony Cannon, w

It’s important to note that there are other editing software programs available to free to download. This bundle is really for people who want to learn how to work with proper editing software and create high caliber videos. Of all the software being made available for $20, it’s VEGAS Pro 14 Edit that’s of the most interest to YouTubers. It’s one of the more popular editing software suites among YouTubers, but note that it’s only for those using Windows PCs. Humble Bundle’s deal will save you ju

And Lafayette’s Independant Game Developer Association chapter is bringing around 30 people a month to meetings, Laborde says. This foundation, combined with Austin’s low cost of living and start-up culture gave birth to a massive indie game scene. “I think it’s becoming abandoned because the majority of the population [is] elderly people, and, you know, there’s like three deaths a week,” he says. “I feel like this whole neighborhood is about that, and I think that’s one thing that’s come out of

There were weird rumblings from arcade enthusiasts on social media recently about tiny, $20 arcade machines that could be found at Cracker Barrel, of all the random places. I finally gave into fate and ran to my own local Cracker Barrel to pick up the Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders machines to test them out myself. There is a reason everyone seems to love these things so much, and that reason is that they’re amazing. The retro artwork on the machines themselves, the games, the classic sound effe

There were weird rumblings from arcade enthusiasts on social media recently about tiny, $20 arcade machines that could be found at Cracker Barrel, of all the random places. I finally gave into fate and ran to my own local Cracker Barrel to pick up the Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders machines to test them out myself. There is a reason everyone seems to love these things so much, and that reason is that they’re amazing. The retro artwork on the machines themselves, the games, the classic sound effe

Ever curious about where the Mario Kart franchise started? In this week’s episode of The History of Fun, Polygon’s new weekly podcast, we explore the hidden backstory behind Super Mario Kart. We know, it’s not the most well-loved of the Mario Kart games. Enjoying The History of Fun? Every Monday, Russ Frushtick, Allegra Frank and Chris Plante explore the hidden backstories behind the things we love to do.

Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief has given another statement on the strange controversy that has gripped his tenure since taking that job one month ago. Cebulski confirmed a long-standing rumor that he wrote comics for Marvel under the pseudonym “Akira Yoshida” while also working as an editor under his own name. The editor’s statement on the day the news broke was met with contention. Before becoming editor-in-chief, he worked in Shanghai as Marvel’s vice president of international brand managemen

Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief has given another statement on the strange controversy that has gripped his tenure since taking that job one month ago. Cebulski confirmed a long-standing rumor that he wrote comics for Marvel under the pseudonym “Akira Yoshida” while also working as an editor under his own name. The editor’s statement on the day the news broke was met with contention. Before becoming editor-in-chief, he worked in Shanghai as Marvel’s vice president of international brand managemen

Mortal Engines takes place in a post-apocalyptic England where massive wheeled cities roam the blasted landscape, hunting down smaller wheeled towns and consuming them for parts, fuel and labor — and you can get a look at exactly that process in the movie’s first trailer above. The film is based on Philip Reeve’s 2001 young adult novel, which follows the adventures of Tom Natsworthy, third-class apprentice in the Guild of Historians in the town of Salthook. Mortal Engines is the first feature fr

Mortal Engines takes place in a post-apocalyptic England where massive wheeled cities roam the blasted landscape, hunting down smaller wheeled towns and consuming them for parts, fuel and labor — and you can get a look at exactly that process in the movie’s first trailer above. The film is based on Philip Reeve’s 2001 young adult novel, which follows the adventures of Tom Natsworthy, third-class apprentice in the Guild of Historians in the town of Salthook. Mortal Engines is the first feature fr

But The Simpsons is a network cornerstone; it premiered in 1989, when the Fox network was three years old. The Simpsons has survived on its legacy for at least a decade now, but that legacy can only go so far. To understand how The Simpsons may be treated, go back to 2006, when Disney acquired Pixar in Iger’s first major acquisition as chief executive. Iger seems to understand this; The future of The Simpsons probably isn’t generating new episodes, but expanding upon the brand the show has turne