Riordan Zentler

Current Position: correspondent

Riordan Zentler joined The Spokesman-Review in 2018 as an Editorial Assistant. He became a correspondent with the Game On column in mid-2020 writing video game reviews for the newspaper's 7 entertainment guide that appears in print on Fridays.

Email: quartzlcc@yahoo.com
Phone: (209) 761-1107

Most Recent Stories

A&E > Entertainment

Game On: Comprehensive tutorials are crucial for enjoyment

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

Few video games are entirely self-explanatory. In the early glory days of arcades, instructions were printed on the cabinet around the edges of the screen. When video games came home, many titles were released in a box with several pages of printed instructions. Developers typically try their best to make games intuitive.

A&E > Entertainment

Game On: What’s a ‘roguelike’ game, and why are they everywhere?

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

One genre description seems to be popping up everywhere lately: “roguelike.” Over the past few years, I’ve found the term to be increasingly ubiquitous, so I did some research. Like most genres, it’s a convoluted category now but had a clear beginning: the early dungeon-crawling game “Rogue,” developed in 1980.

A&E > Seven

Game On: The latest ‘Mario’ game highlights Nintendo’s anti-consumer antics

UPDATED: Thu., Sept. 17, 2020

Video game giant Nintendo has a long history with product scarcity stemming back to the 2006 release of the Nintendo Wii, the console that pushed motion controls to the mainstream and dominated family rooms for years. At age 12, I remember struggling to acquire one for several months.

A&E > Seven

Game On: Xbox Game Pass invites comparisons to Netflix, Spotify

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

After a series of leaks in the past week, Microsoft on Wednesday confirmed its next video game consoles will be released on Nov. 10. I say consoles because the company has revealed it will offer two options this time around: the beefy Xbox Series X for $500 and the less-powerful, disc drive-less Xbox Series S for $300.

A&E

Things to do in Spokane: Aug. 28-Sept. 3

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 27, 2020

Heather Cabot – Sept. 3. Discussion with award-winning journalist, keynote speaker and former ABC News correspondent and anchor Heather Cabot, author of "The New Chardonnay - The Unlikely Story of How Marijuana Went Mainstream." Visit spokesman.com/bookclub/livestream to watch live. 4 p.m. Free.

A&E > Seven

Game On: Netflix docuseries ‘High Score’ is a disjointed mess

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

“High Score” is a Netflix docuseries featuring interviews with early video game developers, pros and other figures. The concept excited me – I love documentaries, I love video games, and I love history – but much to my surprise, the series left me oddly flustered due to its poor focus, confusing pacing and clunky transitions.

A&E

Things to do in Spokane: Aug. 21-27

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 20, 2020

Inland Northwest Rail Museum Anniversary Celebration – Through Sunday. Ride the 2-foot gauge train, view exhibits and learn the history of railroads in the Inland Northwest. Hot dog and beverage included in price of admission.

A&E > Seven

Game On: ‘Fall Guys’ and the special power of replay value

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 20, 2020

“Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout” was released on Aug. 4 to much greater success than developer Mediatonic anticipated. In a market already saturated by online, multiplayer, “battle royale”-style games where only the last surviving player wins, “Fall Guys” turns the genre on its head.

Things to do in Spokane: Aug. 7-13

UPDATED: Thu., Aug. 6, 2020

Media columnist for the Washington Post, Margaret Sullivan discusses her book, "Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy," in a livestream forum with The Spokesman-Review Editor Rob Curley. Go to spokesman.com/bookclub/livestream. 4 p.m.