Stephen LaGioia-Staff Writer

Editorial Team

Staff Writer

March, 2019
Bachelors in History, Masters in Animation
Nintendo, Blizzard, Action RPG
  • 235
    articles
  • 2
    Features
  • 267
    Lists
  • 29
    Guides

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About Stephen LaGioia

Stephen is an avid Nintendo, Indie, and retro gamer of 30 years who dabbles in Xbox, mainly in the form of binge sessions of Overwatch. He's a history buff, an aspiring writer of short fiction, and a devout metalhead who enjoys poorly drumming along to Black Sabbath on his cheap drum set. When his beloved Chicago Cubs or Bulls are not playing, he typically likes to watch obscure documentaries or campy horror films.

Stephen has spent a decade writing extensively about video games, film, and television. He graduated with degrees in History (minor in English) as well as Animation.

Proudest Gaming Achievement

Attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo as media in 2017 and 2018, and getting exclusive looks (and demos) of so many awesome upcoming games... A close second would be getting 101% in Donkey Kong 64.

Favorite Games

Super Mario series (and Mario Kart), Overwatch, Starcraft, Gears of War, Donkey Kong Country, Pokemon Red/Blue, Super Mario RPG, (modern) Assassin's Creed, Borderlands, Super Smash Bros, Roller Coaster Tycoon.

Generally speaking - a dynamic and rewarding, yet accessible ARPG, platformer, RTS, or action game (typically open-world or expansive) is likely to captivate me.

I also tend to have a soft spot for the more action-oriented and imaginative indie titles - especially those that genre-bend, like Minecraft, Terraria, and Dave the Diver. I still contend that the 16-bit era was the Golden Age of Gaming - so naturally, I enjoy many SNES and Genesis titles from the '90s.

Favorite TV Shows

The Twilight Zone, Breaking Bad, South Park, Game of Thrones, Squid Game, Spartacus, Vikings, Everybody Loves Raymond.

Latest

Forza Horizon 5 split image of BMW, Sierra, and Warthog
Forza Horizon 5: 15 Great Cars For Cross-Country Racing & How Much They Cost

Players should consider these nifty vehicles before embarking on another cross-country race in Forza Horizon 5.

Borderlands 3 Best Side Quests
Borderlands 3: 18 Best Side Quests Most Players Have Never Seen (& Where To Find Them)

Borderlands 3 offers plenty of brilliant side quests, but some are easily missed. Here are a few such quests that feature great stories or rewards.

Borderlands 3: 17 Most Useful Legendary Artifacts

From Deathless to Loaded Dice, here are some of the very best Legendary Eridium Artifacts the player can acquire in Borderlands 3.

Borderlands character (left); two Borderlands weapons (top and bottom right)
Borderlands 3: 15 Best Legendary Weapons Added In DLC

Borderlands 3 has all of the guns in the world, but which are the best Legendary guns added through DLC packages?

10 Cheesy But Endearing Sci-Fi Movies From The 2000s featured image
9 Cheesy But Endearing Sci-Fi Movies From The 2000s

The 2000s produced some awesome (and campy) science fiction movies.

Split image of Jawa festival with Sandcrawler and Jawa shooting
Star Wars: 9 Things You Didn't Know About Jawas

Jawas have been in the Star Wars franchises for a long time, but there are many things even the most hardcore fans may not know about them.

Split image of Isaac with Psy Fly, Death Certificate item room and large Isaac with treasure chest in the Binding of Isaac
15 Best Items In Binding Of Isaac: Repentance

The Binding Of Isaac's Repentance DLC has added a vast number of new items. Though it's hard to narrow down the best, these ones are stellar.

Overcooked! 2: How To Get 4 Stars

Overcooked! 2 can truly be a pressure cooker for those who are unprepared. With the right strategy though, players should be able to get four stars.

Borderlands 3 Lilith
Borderlands: 8 Things You Might Not Know About Lilith

Lilith from the Borderlands franchise is one of the most popular video game characters, yet there are many things fans may have missed about her.

Split image of exploding Bloodwing, evil Angel boss, Finger eye cake in Borderlands
Borderlands: 10 Most Disturbing Things That Happen In The Games

The sheer wackiness of the Borderlands franchise is abundantly apparent. Unsurprisingly, plenty of disturbing moments litter the series too.

Overcooked 2 split image of rice cooking kitchen and player swapping cutting lettuce in tutorial
Overcooked! 2: The Best Strategy For Solo Play

Looking to tackle Overcooked 2 solo instead of playing co-op? Players will need to adopt this great strategy for solo play.

Split image of Donnie Darko rabbit, Neo from the Matrix, Effie from Hunger Games
The 10 Best Science Fiction Movies That Don't Take Place In Space

Good sci-fi movies don't always have to take place in space, as proven by these iconic sci-fi films set in alternate locations.

Split image of Naruto Clash of Ninjas 2, Fox shooting in Smash Bros Melee, Capcom VS SNK 2 fighting
The Best GameCube Fighting Games, Ranked By How Well They Hold Up

The Nintendo GameCube is how to some classic fighting games, but which ones have aged the best?

Borderlands Tiny Tina Assault Dragon Keep split image of Stinger and holding Swordsplosion
Tiny Tina's Assault On Dragon Keep: 8 Best Weapons, Ranked

With the Borderlands 2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault On Dragon Keep, recently re-released, here are the best weapons players should pick up.

Animal Crossing New Horizons Island Terraforming Designs
Animal Crossing: 20 Amazing Terraforming Makeovers

If you need some advice on how to best terraform your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island, you've come to the right place.

Split image of Anvil, Geometry Wars 3, and neurovoider shooting
8 Best Twin Stick Shooters You Can Play On The Xbox Series X/S, Ranked

These great twin-stick shooters are the perfect throwback for retro gaming fans, available now on Xbox Series X/S.

Minecraft split image of snow man snow golem and snowy wilderness with campfire
Minecraft: What To Do With Snow

Snow is often overlooked by Minecraft players as something worthless, but it does have its own nifty uses in survival.

Far Cry 6 Supremos split image of backpack, Triador, and jet pack
Far Cry 6: Everything You Need To Know About Supremo Weapons

Far Cry 6 spices its gameplay up with superweapons known as Supremos. Here's what players need to know about these abilities.

split image of invincible player, Brewing Stand, and Tipped Arrow in Minecraft
Minecraft: A Guide To Tipped Arrows

Tipped arrows make for great weapons in Minecraft, and bring a bit of variety to combat. This guide will dive deep into their usage.

Minecraft split image of sunset, modded creepers, game over screen
Minecraft: Bedrock Vs Java Edition – What Are The Biggest Differences?

Of the two versions of Minecraft available to download, Java and Bedrock, which is the better choice? The answer lies in these distinctions.