Stories by Riordan Zentler for the Spokesman-Review

A&E > Seven

2020 still has many blockbuster RPGs on the way

UPDATED: Thu., June 11, 2020

Like any other industry, fads come and go in the world of video gaming. Over the years, one genre in particular seems to remain steadily popular across all mediums – the role-playing game.

A&E > Seven

Things to do in Spokane: June 12-18

UPDATED: Fri., June 12, 2020

Kosh – Today. Singer-songwriter cover musician. 6-9 p.m. Coeur d’Alene Casino Chinook Lounge, 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley. (800) 523-2464.

A&E

Game On: Rock and stone – ‘Deep Rock Galactic’ is an excellent adventure

UPDATED: Thu., June 4, 2020

What do you get when you mix science fiction, cooperative gameplay, mining, shooting and dwarves in space? “Deep Rock Galactic,” a surprisingly wholesome first-person shooter released on May 13.

A&E

Game On: ‘Minecraft Dungeons’ is simple hack-and-slash fun

Thu., May 28, 2020

“Minecraft Dungeons” was released on Tuesday, and for better or worse, it has very little in common with the decade-old “Minecraft” we all know and love. While it shares the same setting, visuals and creatures, you won’t find any building, crafting or other creative mechanics.

A&E

Game On: Staying social amid quarantine with ‘Jackbox’ games

UPDATED: Thu., May 21, 2020

Of all the numerous video games I’ve been playing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic – alone, with my quarantine partner or online with friends – the one that’s brought the most joy to the most people is “The Jackbox Party Pack.”

A&E

Game On: ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’ is getting a remaster treatment

Thu., May 14, 2020

In honor of his 52nd birthday, Tony Hawk himself took to social media on Tuesday to announce “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2” – as the name implies, it’s a remaster of the first two games packaged together for $40.

A&E

Game On: Remasters, remakes and rose-tinted glasses are rampant in the gaming industry

UPDATED: Thu., May 7, 2020

For every new video game to hit the market lately, it seems like there’s a remake of an old game, too.

A&E

Game On: Digital vs. physical: – how the video game industry learned from Microsoft’s missteps

UPDATED: Thu., April 30, 2020

For more than a decade, video games have been steadily shifting away from physical sales toward digital distribution, much the same as music and film. The transition creates opportunities for game publishers and consumers alike.

A&E

Video game streaming surges in popularity amid quarantine

UPDATED: Thu., April 23, 2020

The New York Times said this month video game streaming might be “the most virus-proof job in the world.” Streaming video is not new technology, but watching another person play a video game over the internet might seem a silly idea to some – why not play the game yourself?

A&E

From ‘Frogger’ to ‘Minecraft’: Leaping from one bestseller to the next

Thu., April 16, 2020

Over the past four to five decades, video gaming has gradually risen from a niche hobby to a multibillion-dollar industry. Asking a stranger if they’ve ever heard of “Mario” is about as silly as asking if they know of the film “Star Wars” or the song “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” by Journey.

A&E

Game On: Virtual reality finally has its ‘killer app’

UPDATED: Wed., April 15, 2020

Is virtual reality the future of gaming? If you had asked me even a month ago, I would’ve told you “no.” It’s impossible to deny that traversing a virtual three-dimensional space with physical limb gestures is a compelling concept – there just hadn’t been a single game to really pull it off.

News > Spokane

EWU sociology professor urges people to ‘choose compassion’ to combat anti-Asian discrimination

UPDATED: Wed., April 8, 2020

Eastern Washington University Sociology Professor Pui-Yan Lam remains hopeful despite an increase in anti-Asian discrimination and hate crimes across the world as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.

A&E > Seven

Game On: Playing games, reading books to fight the coronavirus

UPDATED: Thu., April 2, 2020

It’s a weird time we live in when “doing your part” means staying home and passing the time. For those of us who feel that’s not quite enough, there’s the “Humble Conquer COVID-19 Bundle,” a massive selection of PC video games and ebooks available for $30.

A&E

Maple Street Bistro caters lunch for UGM Crisis Shelter for Women and Children

UPDATED: Mon., March 30, 2020

Maple Street Bistro on Friday catered lunch to 80 women and children at the Union Grace Mission Crisis Shelter for Women and Children in northeast Spokane.

A&E

Social distancing? Online gaming is your best bet

UPDATED: Thu., March 26, 2020

An unexpected benefit of Washington state’s “stay home, stay safe” order is the extra time to reach out to loved ones and reconnect with family members and old friends. You won’t be inviting friends over to play traditional couch co-op games like “Super Smash Brothers” any time soon – but online gaming just became more appealing than ever.

A&E

Cute animals or unapologetic gore – video games have you covered

Thu., March 19, 2020

Video games might not help you stay in physical shape, but they’re proven to keep your mind occupied and your reflexes sharp – not a bad way to pass this idle time.

A&E

Review: Tool offers impeccable musicianship, eye-popping stage in ‘Fear Inoculum’ stop at the Arena

UPDATED: Tue., March 10, 2020

Following a handful of international festival appearances, Tool kicked off its “Fear Inoculum Tour” at the Spokane Arena on Monday night to a nearly sold-out venue with fans converging from all across the Inland Northwest.

A&E

Review: Energetic nü metal pioneers Korn sound better than ever at Spokane Arena

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 27, 2020

Korn, Breaking Benjamin and Bones U.K. played to a sizable crowd at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday night. About two-thirds of the venue’s seats were filled, and eager fans on the ground floor packed together like sardines.

A&E

Korn drummer Ray Luzier: ‘Genre’s on a whole new level right now’; nü metal band rocks Spokane Arena on Wednesday

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 25, 2020

Korn is on the road and rocks the Spokane Arena on Wednesday. The rock genre has been through many changes through the years. Grunge started in 1988 courtesy of Seattle-based Nirvana, and nü metal kicked off in 1994 courtesy of Korn, a five-piece band from Bakersfield, California. It’s a small city encompassed by rural farms and sentiment, not unlike Spokane.

A&E

Tattoos for a cause in CdA: ‘We try to do a few things each year to contribute to the health and welfare of our community’

UPDATED: Sun., Dec. 8, 2019

On Thursday and Friday, Electric Age Tattoo in downtown Coeur d’Alene awarded its customers free tattoos from predrawn flash sheets in exchange for donations to Children’s Village, a North Idaho nonprofit that offers residential housing for youth in need of safety from neglect, abuse or severe family crisis.

A&E

All Hallows Tattoo Expo brings ‘underground out into the open’

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 19, 2019

Each year in October, tattoo artists and enthusiasts flock to a convention center in North Idaho for a Halloween-themed celebration of all things body modification and macabre. The All Hallows Tattoo Expo in North Idaho this weekend is in its third year.

A&E

Review: Silverwood makes a wicked transformation for Scarywood

Thu., Oct. 10, 2019

“Ten years of fear” is Silverwood Theme Park’s slogan for Scarywood Haunted Nights in 2019, commemorating its inception in 2009. For a month of each year, the Inland Northwest’s amusement park in Athol undergoes a dramatic change. One might say the place becomes possessed.