Nintendo closes out the end of an era in 2025 with the introduction of the Nintendo Switch 2 and gradual sunsetting of the original Nintendo Switch. This shift in focus to the new console won’t be overnight, of course, and rarely is whenever console publishers transition to a fresh generation. The first Switch generation was an especially prosperous one for Nintendo, with over 150 million units shipped worldwide and counting, making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console of all-time and second only to the PlayStation 2 as the best-selling home console overall. With a player base that large, Nintendo has to be tactful how it eventually phases out its support for the Switch and maintains continued interest in its overarching brand. That makes us nostalgic too for how previous major home consoles eventually made their respective final bows, wrapping up fondly remembered eras. Here’s a look back on how each major console from the past several decades ended their fan-favorite runs. Nintendo Entertainment System The NES not only revived the video game industry in North America after its cataclysmic crash in 1983, but completely dominated it into the early ‘90s. By 1990 the NES—along with its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom—was the best-selling console ever at that time with more American households having the console than PCs. As such, Nintendo’s support for the NES continued long after the launch of the Super Nintendo, with Japan going as far as to continue manufacturing Famicoms for its domestic market until September 2003. Many of the last games released in the twilight years for the NES were ports of Super Nintendo titles with a significantly less intensive technical presentation. These include NES ports of Mario’s Time Machine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters, and Wario’s Woods, all released in 1994 and the last of which being the final game released for the console in North America. Over 30 years later, the NES’ tenure remains one of the longest-running and most triumphant generations for any console. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Also known as the Mega Drive outside of the U.S., the Sega Genesis was the console that gave Sega a prominent foothold in the North American market. In trying to gain a technical edge against its competitors, Sega began producing console peripherals for the Genesis, most notably the Sega CD in 1991 and Sega 32X in 1994, each with their own game libraries. Though Sega continued to produce games for the base Genesis, it saw the 32X as a stopgap effort until the Sega Saturn could be launched in 1994 in Japan and ‘95 in the U.S. Unfortunately for Sega, savvy gamers already knew that the Saturn was coming. So when combined with the high price point for the 32X peripheral, they discreetly avoided it. This meant the library of 32X games released in the Genesis’ final months, which included early 3D Sega games like Virtua Fighter and Star Wars Trilogy Arcade, went largely ignored. The final 32X game was 1996’s The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire while 1997’s NHL 98 closed out the Genesis on a whimper. Super Nintendo The Super Nintendo Entertainment System reaffirmed Nintendo’s place atop the worldwide video game industry, even as it faced stiff competition from Sega and Sony. Even as the Nintendo 64’s 1996 launch loomed, Nintendo continued to support the SNES in its final years. Indeed, some of the most beloved SNES games were originally released in 1996 and 1997, giving the console the fond farewell that cemented its vaunted place in gaming history. Among the memorable games released in the final stretch for the SNES were Super Mario RPG, Donkey Country 3, Harvest Moon, and The Lost Vikings 2. The last licensed game ever released for the SNES was a 1998 port of Frogger, almost as an afterthought for the console. As far as endings go, the Super Nintendo, like the SNES before it, had a great conclusion to its best-selling run. Sega Saturn Between the original success of the Genesis and loving reappraisal of the Dreamcast, the Sega Saturn remains something of the overlooked middle child. This is in no small part because of how badly Sega handled the console’s rollout for the North American market, from a surprise announcement that caught developers outside of Japan off-guard, an uncompetitive price point in comparison to the original PlayStation, and Sega of America deciding not to localize hundreds of games created by Japanese developers. With that in mind, the Saturn generation lasted four years, as Sega rushed to replace it with its successor, the Dreamcast. This fast-tracked decision effectively hobbled the Saturn in its final year when news about the Dreamcast’s development leaked while Sega was still nominally supporting the Saturn in public. Console and game sales in North America cratered with only seven Saturn games released in the territory for the entirety of 1998, the last being a localization of Magic Knight Rayearth. Given the Saturn’s greater success in Japan than overseas markets, Sega continued to support the Saturn after the Dreamcast’s November 1998 launch, primarily through third-party titles and boxed sets, with the last game released for the console in Japan being 2000’s Final Fight Revenge by Capcom. PlayStation The PlayStation, later rebranded as the PSX and then PS1, marked Sony’s triumphant entry into the home console industry in 1994. Buoyed by its games published on compact discs, as opposed to expensive cartridges, and strong third-party developer support, PS1 became the bestselling console of its generation and the bestselling overall for its time. The PS1 continued to sell well into the subsequent generation, even well into the lifespan of its 2001 successor, the PlayStation 2. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Given the sheer number of its player base and continued flourishing third-party support, the PS1 saw multiplatform sports and licensed titles published for it through 2006, though the last North American title was published for it in 2004. The last major title for the console was arguably 2002’s Final Fantasy Origins, which was just a compiled remaster of the first two mainline games in the series. Sony officially ended support for the PS1 in 2006, the same year it launched the PlayStation 3. Nintendo 64 Though the Nintendo 64 launched strongly and revolutionized the gaming industry in shifting to 3D games, it also saw Nintendo lose its global top spot in the console wars. Surpassed commercially by PlayStation, Nintendo spent the final years of the N64 focusing on development of the GameCube while extending the life and power of the N64 through its crimson Expansion Pak peripheral. This upgrade in technical performance led to some of the most impressive N64 or console games in its final years on the market. The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, and Banjo-Tooie were all released in 2000, each taking advantage of the Expansion Pak boost in their own way. By 2001 Nintendo completely reprioritized its strategy to support the launch of the Game Boy Advance and GameCube, but still put out bonafide bangers like Mario Party 3 and Conker’s Bad Fur Day. By 2002 Nintendo officially pulled the plug on the N64, releasing a handful of sports titles to close out the generation. Dreamcast Sega’s final home console came out the gate swinging with a launch window that included Power Stone, Sonic Adventure, Soulcalibur, The House of the Dead 2, and NFL Blitz 2000. However, the Dreamcast faced continued stiff competition from the original PlayStation along with news about development on the upcoming PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and something Microsoft was calling Xbox. With the incoming generation of home consoles reputedly more powerful than the Dreamcast, support for Sega continued to waver, with a remodeled, cheaper PS1 outselling the Dreamcast during the 2000 holiday season as a final nail in Sega’s console coffin. Sega ceased releasing new Dreamcast games in North America by February 2002, closing out its support for the market with NHL 2K2 almost as an afterthought. Like the Saturn, the Dreamcast saw longer support in its native Japan, with March 2004’s puzzle party game Puyo Puyo Fever closing out the generation for good. By December 2001, Sega began developing games for its former competitors, signaling a significant shift to focus on software development rather than hardware, releasing both Sonic Advance for the Game Boy Advance and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for the GameCube that month. Xbox Though Microsoft’s first foray into the home console industry was off to a shaky start with a hilariously oversized controller and weak launch library, it eventually outsold the GameCube. That said, the console also stands as the shortest generation to date from Microsoft, with the company rushing out its successor, the Xbox 360, almost exactly four years after the original Xbox’s November 2001 launch. That means games initially intended for the Xbox were reconfigured as 360 titles, sometimes late in development, to bolster the next console’s launch library. 2004 saw the strongest first-party games released for the original Xbox, including Halo 2, Fable, and Ninja Gaiden Black before Microsoft shifted its priorities. The majority of games released for the original Xbox after 2005 were multiplatform sports titles, with only three games released for the console in the entirety of 2007 and only Madden NFL 09 released for it in 2008. The original Xbox was, comparatively, a flash in the pan, with Microsoft quickly looking ahead to the future. GameCube The GameCube era was a dark one for Nintendo as the company slid behind Sony and Microsoft in the home console industry in terms of units shipped. This decline, coupled with difficulties in developing games for hardware, meant the console saw dwindling third-party support. As Nintendo readied to launch the motion sensor-oriented Wii in the 2006 holiday season, it repurposed games originally planned for the GameCube for its successor instead. One highlight in the GameCube’s closing window was Resident Evil 4, released at the beginning of 2005 as a GameCube-exclusive before Capcom decided to port it to the PlayStation 2 by the year’s end. A handful of movie tie-in games, like Ratatouille and TMNT, along with the usual multiplatform sports games, filled the gap. As the Wii quickly gained momentum following its breathtakingly successful launch, Nintendo quietly pulled the plug on the GameCube by 2007. However, one major highlight was The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a fan favorite developed as GameCube’s swan song in 2006… before being delayed so it could simultaneously release as a launch title on the Wii. PlayStation 2 Still the best-selling home console of all time, the PlayStation 2 significantly outsold its immediate competition and helped push Sega out of the hardware console industry for good. This success was also in small part due to the console featuring a built-in DVD drive and being priced competitively compared to other DVD players on the market at the time. Like its predecessor, the PS2 had an especially long lifespan, one that endured through the eventual launch of the PlayStation 4. Leading up to the PS3 launch in late 2006, the PS2 saw the release of some of its most acclaimed games, including its port of Resident Evil 4, Shadow of the Colossus, Gran Turismo 4, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Guitar Hero, Ōkami, Devil May Cry 3, and Final Fantasy XII. The last game ever released for the PS2 was Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, released in 2013. Sony ended post-release support for the PS2 in Japan in 2018, closing out its most successful era to date. Wii After losing industry dominance in its previous two generations, Nintendo catapulted itself back on top with the Wii, which replaced the GameCube as its main home console in late 2006. With its intuitive motion controls and a robust library of games, many of the most acclaimed being console exclusives, the Wii became Nintendo’s bestselling console at the time. By 2013, one year after the launch of the Wii U, Nintendo began ceasing production on new Wii consoles and cutting back online services, with the last major services discontinued in 2019. The Wii’s last real banner year was 2011, which saw the release of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the latter of which being the last major console exclusive. That said, Nintendo was really focused on launching its last handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, that year and preparing for the Wii U. Amusingly, the Wii kept receiving third-party support and new installments of Just Dance from Ubisoft until 2019. Xbox 360 The most successful Xbox console to date is Microsoft’s sophomore effort, the Xbox 360, which launched a full year ahead of its generational counterparts in 2005. Though outsold by the Wii, the 360 closed the gap between Microsoft and Sony—even as it was also ultimately outsold by the PS3. What the 360 revolutionized was a digital marketplace for games, allowing players to purchase and download titles straight to their consoles, a feature that became an industry standard. In the years and months leading up to the launch of the Xbox One, the 360 saw its firmware updated to match Microsoft’s other user interfaces while the console began incorporating its own motion sensor gameplay. Branded the Kinect, the peripheral was launched in 2010 to lukewarm response for many of its titles. Though Microsoft continued to support the 360’s online capabilities until 2024, the last two major games for the console were 2012’s Halo 4 and 2013’s Gears of War: Judgment. PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 stumbled at its 2006 launch with its significantly higher price point than the competition and complex hardware architecture, making development for the console particularly difficult. Though price cuts and cheaper models of the PS3 improved its standing, it never got close to catching up with Nintendo’s highly successful Wii. As a result, Sony ended its support for the PS3 faster than it had the PS2 or PS1, shifting its focus to the PlayStation 4. Despite Sony quickly reprioritizing itself for the PS4’s 2013 launch, the PS3 saw some of its most iconic titles released in its final years. The Last of Us, Journey, and multiplatform titles like Mass Effect 3 and Grand Theft Auto V closed out the PS3 era. By 2017 Sony ceased hardware production on the PS3 and, while planning to close the PlayStation Store for the platform in 2021, fan outcry led Sony to reverse this decision, leaving online support running. Wii U After completely revitalizing itself and reclaiming its spot at the top of the console industry, Nintendo endured a follow-up slump with the Wii U. From its confusing launch, insistence on gameplay using the console’s GamePad controller, and limited third-party support, the Wii U squandered the lead Nintendo built during the Wii era. With its muted commercial performance, Nintendo quickly got to work with the console’s successor, the Nintendo Switch, which was released in 2017, five years after the Wii U’s ignominious debut. By 2015 just three years after its launch, Nintendo quietly began to reduce production of Wii U hardware, to cut costs and better prepare for the eventual Switch launch. An HD remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which was originally released to jointly close the GameCube era and launch the Wii, was the last major Wii U-exclusive release. Mirroring its initial Twilight Princess strategy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released concurrently for the Wii U and Switch, with Nintendo ending production on Wii U consoles in early 2017 and terminating online support for it in 2023. Xbox One As alluded to in its name, the Xbox One was intended to be an all-in-one entertainment center for owners, through its broadcast television and streaming-friendly interface. It also marked the point where Microsoft lost the console market gains it enjoyed during the Xbox 360 era, outsold by both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. In its final years, Microsoft offered alternate models of the Xbox One, culminating in the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in 2019, at a significantly reduced price point to entice one last wave of hardware purchases. There wasn’t a lot by way of console exclusives for the Xbox One in its sunset stages prior to the launch of the Xbox Series X|S at the end of 2020. The console saw a number of multiplatform titles, including games developed by Microsoft’s subsidiaries, with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 being a major exception. Instead Microsoft was already focused on developing titles for PC and the Series X|S while further bolstering the library of its premium subscription service Game Pass. PlayStation 4 Sony reclaimed its market dominance beginning in 2013 with the PlayStation 4, outperforming both the Wii U and the Xbox One by significant margins as the PS4 became Sony’s second best-selling home console of all time. To put things into perspective, the PS4 sold more units than the Wii U and Xbox One combined and was second only to the Nintendo Switch in its generation. And with Sony still manufacturing PS4 hardware while major developers continue to publish games for it, one could argue the PS4 era is still thriving. In terms of the last console exclusives released for the PS4 before the launch of the PlayStation 5 at the end of 2020, the PS4 had a particularly stacked final year. The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Ghost of Tsushima all came out in 2020, following Death Stranding the previous year. The PS4’s online support services are still very much active and the console continues to receive new games regularly, five years into the PS5 era. Nintendo Switch That just leaves the Nintendo Switch, which launched in 2017 before growing to become the second best-selling console of all time, second only to the PS2. With the Nintendo Switch 2 coming out in June 2025, that will make the original Switch Nintendo’s dominant console for over eight years, its longest console generation to date. And Nintendo has already phased out significant first-party development for Switch titles, with much of the 2020s Switch games being remasters of previous titles, like Donkey Country Returns and Xenoblade Chronicles X, or compilations like Harvest Moon. It was 2024 that saw the last major push of console exclusives for the original Switch, predominantly from its marquee franchises. Super Mario Party Jamboree and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom were the last first-party titles of note for the Switch era, both released in the back half of the year. Nintendo has been building to the Switch 2’s launch for some time, and it’s looking to hit the ground running with one of its strongest launch libraries yet. The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on June 5.

Just like Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong is getting a minor makeover as Nintendo moves into the next generation. And like the elder DK, Diddy will look a bit more like his The Super Mario Bros. Movie counterpart, with the addition of… teeth. A poster on the Famiboards forums noticed this week that the Nintendo Switch news channel showed off new artwork for Diddy Kong, and while the differences may be small in the grand scheme, they make the old, Rare-era Diddy look weird by comparison. Diddy Kong’s new look now includes a full mouth of teeth, the apparent removal of the Nintendo “racetrack” logo from his signature cap, and more realistic looking toes. Diddy’s pot belly has also been raised a bit, so it’s clearer where his tummy ends and his fur begins. Here’s an early look at the new Diddy Kong, via Famiboards poster Professor Chops: Compare that to this 2023 artwork of Diddy Kong from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass: The “new” Diddy Kong hews more closely to his Donkey Kong Country appearances than that of his brief cameo in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Yes, he had a full set of pearly whites in Nintendo and Illumination’s animated film, but the cinematic version of Diddy appeared slightly more muscular, had eyes that were set apart, and sported a basketball-style jersey, as opposed to a tummy-accentuating crop top. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Diddy with teeth, though. While many of his video game appearances render him toothless, Diddy Kong’s second amiibo, from the Super Mario collection, shows the younger DK with chompers — something the Diddy amiibo released as part of the Super Smash Bros. collection didn’t. All of this is to say that Diddy Kong has teeth now, and for the foreseeable future, no longer has to gum all of his food. Perhaps we’ll see more of this toothy Diddy in upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, though the character hasn’t been confirmed to appear in either title just yet.

Just like Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong is getting a minor makeover as Nintendo moves into the next generation. And like the elder DK, Diddy will look a bit more like his The Super Mario Bros. Movie counterpart, with the addition of… teeth. A poster on the Famiboards forums noticed this week that the Nintendo Switch news channel showed off new artwork for Diddy Kong, and while the differences may be small in the grand scheme, they make the old, Rare-era Diddy look weird by comparison. Diddy Kong’s new look now includes a full mouth of teeth, the apparent removal of the Nintendo “racetrack” logo from his signature cap, and more realistic looking toes. Diddy’s pot belly has also been raised a bit, so it’s clearer where his tummy ends and his fur begins. Here’s an early look at the new Diddy Kong, via Famiboards poster Professor Chops: Compare that to this 2023 artwork of Diddy Kong from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass: The “new” Diddy Kong hews more closely to his Donkey Kong Country appearances than that of his brief cameo in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Yes, he had a full set of pearly whites in Nintendo and Illumination’s animated film, but the cinematic version of Diddy appeared slightly more muscular, had eyes that were set apart, and sported a basketball-style jersey, as opposed to a tummy-accentuating crop top. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Diddy with teeth, though. While many of his video game appearances render him toothless, Diddy Kong’s second amiibo, from the Super Mario collection, shows the younger DK with chompers — something the Diddy amiibo released as part of the Super Smash Bros. collection didn’t. All of this is to say that Diddy Kong has teeth now, and for the foreseeable future, no longer has to gum all of his food. Perhaps we’ll see more of this toothy Diddy in upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 games Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World, though the character hasn’t been confirmed to appear in either title just yet.

The world is awash in data about, well, the world — thanks to satellites and environmental sensors. But there’s still a lot we can’t see, and Fieldstone Bio thinks microbes can change that. “They’ve evolved to sense and respond to information. It’s just trillions of calculations going on at all times all around us,” Brandon Fields, Fieldstone Bio’s co-founder and chief science officer, told TechCrunch. “How do we take that and actually manipulate that to gain benefits for us?” Fieldstone’s technology emerged from that question. The startup was founded in 2023 after spinning out of MIT, where professor Chris Voigt’s lab had developed a way to turn microbes into sensors. The scientists programmed the microbes to change color when they encountered something of interest, whether it be nutrients in soil or landmines hidden in the dirt, and then figured out how to detect them. “The key technology out of Chris’ lab is this idea of, ‘How do we actually visualize these cells from really far away?’” Fields said. Fieldstone Bio recently raised $5 million in seed funding led by Ubiquity Ventures with participation from E14 and LDV Capital, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. The startup has been testing its technology in the lab, and the funding will let it test those microbes in the real world. Each strain is tailored to sense a particular compound, such as nitrogen on a farm field or TNT residue from a landmine.  “We isolate microbes from the environments we want to sense,” Fields said. “We build our sensors the DNA pieces, and we just drop them into these different ones and see which ones behave the best, which ones can last the longest.” Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW Once the microbes are ready, Fieldstone will broadcast them using drones. After the microbes have some time to sense their environment — several hours to days, depending on the target — the company will have another drone snap photos of the area. The images aren’t the usual aerial photography seen on Google Maps. Rather, they’re taken using what’s known as a hyperspectral camera, which divide visible and infrared light into as many as 600 different colors. Because Fieldstone’s microbes will reflect light at a very specific wavelength, it can train AI models to look for those signals amid a torrent of data. “That’s where the power of AI comes in, because we can start using that information to tease out these really faint signals to produce really cool heat maps of the microbe sensing the environment,” Fields said. In addition to agriculture and national security applications, Fieldstone is also programming microbes to detect environmental contaminants like arsenic, CEO Patrick Stone said. “Instead of going to do core soil samples over every 100 feet — and then you have 100 foot resolution — we could get a one-inch resolution and really map out exactly where they need to go clean up stuff,” he said. Gene edited microbial sensors broadcast over farm fields are sure to raise the eyebrows among people who oppose genetic modification. Fields said that the company has been in contact with the EPA to ensure that the company follows regulations. Fields said that, over time, he hopes the company’s database will become large enough that it can train models to associate other signals in the environment with whatever data is returned by the microbes. That would allow hyperspectral cameras to detect, say, arsenic contamination without needing to spread the engineered microbes. “Eventually, you don’t need to apply the microbe at all,” Fields said. “You have drones, planes, and satellites now collecting information about chemical information on a global scale.”

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here NetEase Games has officially kicked off the much-anticipated Galacta’s Gift event in Marvel Rivals, celebrating the game’s one-year anniversary since its Closed Alpha launch in May 2024. Beginning on May 15, 2025, players can dive into this event that grants a complimentary event pass. This pass features seven tiers packed with exclusive rewards, such as Nameplates, Sprays, eight Chrono Shield Cards, and a Costume Coin applicable to any Season 0 hero. Players can dive into daily missions across Quick Play, Competitive, or AI matches to advance through the pass and snag those highly sought-after items, creating a fulfilling journey for both newcomers and seasoned competitors alike. Yet, lurking beneath the festive exterior of this event is a unique element that has gamers buzzing — the event’s distinctive method of engaging players, especially with its captivating “2099” expiry date. Marvel Rivals Galacta’s Gift event will last forever with unique end date On May 15, trusted leaker X0X_LEAK posted on X that the Marvel Rivals Galacta’s Gift event is “set to end in 2099,” which corresponds with the in-game description, implying it is perpetual. This description, which appears in the event’s UI, shows that Galacta’s Gift is a permanent event for players, particularly as part of the new player onboarding process, which lends credence to the leaker’s assertion of an extended or infinite life. Galacta’s Gift screen in Marvel Rivals. Image by VideoGamer. The 2099 reference, maybe a fun tribute to the Marvel 2099 reality, may inflate the timeline while reflecting the event’s long-term availability. The in-game text indicates that Galacta’s Gift is permanent, as opposed to the time-limited Battle Pass. An X post from Miller Ross also confirms that the event is a one-time completion for existing accounts but is available indefinitely for new players. The event’s design allows for continuous access, therefore, a 2099 “end date” is an exaggerated approach to depict its continuing nature. Players must still finish objectives quickly to receive rewards, as the event’s one-time-per-account constraint implies no second chances. Marvel Rivals Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter Subscribe to our newsletters! By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime. Share

This Duster review contains no spoilers. Would you look at that? Actor Josh Holloway and creator J.J. Abrams have reunited for the first time since Lost crash-landed onto ABC 20 years ago. I have slight memories of the series — I was more of a Heroes watcher — but never felt inclined to revisit. Nonetheless, I can understand the joy in seeing them collaborate on a new project after all these years. But this time, they’re trading vehicles and genres. Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s Max period crime thriller series, Duster, in which Holloway portrays a getaway driver tapped to be a mole by the FBI, bears a pulpy and cartoonish exterior, though its constant tonal whiplash prevents its engine from roaring as loud as it should. Jim Ellis (Holloway) is the quintessential getaway driver men don’t want to mess with and women want to be with. He’s a cool, alluring, charming dude whose business varies between wheelman, courier, and blackmailer. Most of his jobs are for his crime lord boss, Ezra Saxton (Keith David), who has the Southwest crime strip on lock and whom he’s loyal to thanks to the friendship his dad Wade (Corbin Bernsen) shared with him. Whenever he’s not under Saxton’s thumb, he’s a supportive uncle to his fellow courier driver ex-girlfriend Izzy’s (Camille Guaty) daughter Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez). Although Jim leads a low-key lifestyle, it’s evident that he is going through a transition brought on by the unresolved death of his beloved brother, Joey who was also a wheelman in the past and died in an explosion.  Enter the driven and hard-working Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), who makes it into the FBI as the first Black woman agent. Because it’s the ‘70s, all the white males within her unit, whether it be her peers or superiors, do their best to belittle her. The sole person she establishes a friendship with is Awan (Asivak Koostachin), a comic book-loving Navajo nation-based agent who is assigned as her partner.  Hayes and Ellis’ worlds collide, and she propositions him to be her mole for the FBI to take down Saxton and his entire crime syndicate. Unknown to her FBI allies, Hayes has additional motivations for wanting to bring Saxton down. Jim’s loyalty to his boss is frequently put to the test during the season’s perilous assignments, causing him to question his loyalty to Saxton. Hayes faces the same moral compass challenge as she is compelled to work outside the law and actively pursue information.  Despite the serialization of the plot, Duster bears a high-spirited eccentricity that works in its favor for most of the series. At least on Jim Ellis’ part, where it adopts the “mission of the week” episodic format. Every episode follows Jim going job to job for Saxton, which results in him either facing off against assassins or crime lords straight out of an ‘80s animation. Jim’s quests get unabashedly cartoonish to the extent that one episode features a stunningly animated dream sequence where Jim envisions himself in a Looney Tunes cartoon. When he’s not fighting in his orange Plymouth Duster, Jim’s wheelman missions involve him interacting with icons of 1970s pop culture, such as Colonel Tom Parker and Adrienne Barbeau. Abrams and Morgan’s use of campy worldbuilding is largely attributable to the charismatic supporting actors who confidently embellish their roles, as opposed to the straight-laced nature of the two leads. Jim’s smooth persona, in particular, bounces off quirky characters, resulting in strong comedic moments. Some of my favorite scenes are when Jim fights with his stepmother Charlotte (Gail O’ Grady), who despises him to no end even though they both have a close bond with Wade the patriarch. Duster‘s heart simply lies in how Jim and Nina navigate this kooky, crime world and their reliance on each other to thrive in their paths. Holloway’s smooth wit and personable bravado contribute to the show’s welcoming gravitas. Hilson on her part excels with a tough, self-assured backbone that adds so much charm to the conventional cop-criminal dynamic she and Holloway share.  It’s clear that Duster is a different engine from Lost, but Holloway hasn’t lost his star touch. The series thrives on being brainless, fast-food TV that is often wildly entertaining, accompanied by stylish and cool action sequences. Whether it be combat or car chase sequences with adrenaline-inducing practical crashes, it feels like a remnant of pulpy action thrillers with an adult edge not often around in modern television. Much of that credit is attributed to director Steph Green, who keeps the energy buoyed throughout each episode despite elements of the overarching investigation Nina and Awan feeling like a chore to get through.  Some episodes have trouble keeping a consistent tone. Mostly when it tries to make timely social commentary about workplace diversity, racial identity, and equality, especially within Nina and Izzy’s subplot. It’s a good attempt, if not absolutely necessary, especially since many studios are cutting back on diverse content in a Trump 2.0 administration. But it all contradicts the ridiculous scenes that follow, like Jim facing an assassin whose shtick is throwing projectile blades or a ceiling fan landing on a racist patron’s crotch. Duster is an all-around enjoyable and engaging historical thriller, supported by a warm, campy energy and wit, incredible action scenes, and strong performances from Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! The first episode of Duster premieres Thursday, May 15 at 9 p.m. ET on Max. New episodes debut Thursdays at the same time, culminating with the finale on July 3.

Rewilding, Rigour and Radical Care: Practice Visits in CopenhagenCopenhagen’s architecture is generous to the public realm and Copenhagen’s architects were even more so to us. Day two began at the shared office space of Johansen Skovsted Arkitekter, Djernes & Bell and Kim Lenschow, over coffee and Baku pastries. In this collaborative, little ecosystem of a workplace, the three practices share lunch, end-of-year parties and knowledge – a testament to the collaborative nature that ran through all of the practices we visited. Johansen Skovsted’s extensive experience in architectural reuse, landscape rewilding and rewetting offered a fascinating approach to working within existing ecological systems and utilising architecture to improve components of that as opposed to reworking the entire structure of the landscape. It’s an approach that can inform our work in various remote Indigenous communities in Australia, where we should be looking for smaller-scale solutions that support existing social, cultural, and environmental systems, rather than attempting to rebuild them. As Djernes & Bell director Justine Bell reminded us, that is not the role of the architect.Bell remarked that the architect’s role in this work lies in our professional expertise in land use, existing structures, storytelling and the synergy in communicating potential futures – how landscapes can look and how buildings can feel. Their rigour in material testing and resource-mapping encouraged vigorous conversation around climactic materiality, vernacular architecture and construction methods. Bell, a South African architect, noted that both Australia and South Africa often look to Europe for answers, when, in fact, more relevant ideas are emerging from home. As many Australian architects grapple  with integrating colonial vernaculars with Indigenous knowledge systems, we can also look to vernacular architecture, not to overly romanticise it, but to understand and reinterpret these ideas through a contemporary lens. These kinds of projects rely on the humility of the architect to engage with experts in agriculture, biology, geology, rewetting and research.Through Copenhagen’s built environment principle of not building new, we’ve come to understand – through the lens of these architectural practitioners – the idea of making what is necessary with what is available. The labour involved in reusing existing buildings, conducting material research and constructing the architecture that has been redefining Copenhagen for the past decade reflects the same care that continues to be invested in a building throughout its life span.“Buildings that have included the most labour are taken care of the most,” said Bell. I’ve seen this ethos at work first-hand in my own work in regional and remote communities in Australia. When communities are involved in the design – through consultation, iterative design and revalidating form translation – and in the construction – by engaging local builders, sub-contractors, suppliers, ongoing contracts, the buildings are valued as more than just structure and form. They become  part of the system of the community: spatially, economically and culturally. The post DST Day 2 – Marni Reti appeared first on Australian Institute of Architects.

Imagine waking up each day excited for work, knowing that your efforts contribute to a global movement that impacts the world. If you’re ready for a career transformation, then we have an exhilarating opportunity for you at the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)!Join us, and you won’t just be changing jobs—you’ll be elevating your career on a global scale. At IxDF, we’re not just a company; we’re a movement dedicated to making high-quality design education accessible to everyone, everywhere. With team members and learners from over 100 countries, your role at IxDF will have a worldwide impact. From engaging with diverse cultures to contributing to a platform that reaches millions, your daily activities will be anything but ordinary.Our Commitment to Our MembersAt the core of every decision we make and every strategy we implement lies our unwavering commitment to our members—they are the fundamental reason for our existence. This profound dedication drives us to exceed their expectations at every turn. We are on the lookout for a candidate who embodies our ethos: someone who is not only exceptionally talented and diligent but who also possesses a profound empathy for our learners' needs and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Your role will be pivotal in ensuring that each member feels valued, supported, and inspired throughout their educational journey with us.Your place in the IxDF UniverseCorrespond daily with members and prospective learners across multiple channels—email, chat, and social media—providing quick, accurate responses to their questions. You’ll troubleshoot issues, offer guidance, and ensure a seamless user experience.Act as a brand ambassador by upholding our excellent reputation in every interaction. You’ll communicate our mission and values clearly, taking pride in representing a global community dedicated to design education. It’s a big responsibility, but also incredibly rewarding!Collaborate cross-functionally with teams across the organization to improve internal workflows and enhance the platform’s user experience. You’ll be the bridge between departments, ensuring that our operations are efficient and focused on delivering the best outcomes for our members.Support our Growth team in executing digital marketing initiatives, including managing paid media campaigns and overseeing content and engagement across our social media channels.Perform general administrative and ad-hoc project support, assisting extended team members as needed. Whether it’s organizing tasks, scheduling, or helping with project coordination, you’ll ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.Maintain and improve documentation by ensuring that our knowledge resources are up-to-date, easy to access, and provide value to both our internal teams and learners. Your work will directly contribute to helping others succeed.Shape internal processes that directly impact engagement and key performance indicators (KPIs). You’ll analyze workflows and recommend improvements to help us provide even better services for our members.Update our internal knowledge base and contribute to department-wide initiatives focused on knowledge sharing. You’ll ensure that important insights and best practices are easily available to all, driving continuous improvement.Communicate and collaborate effectively with other teams to relay customer needs and insights. By sharing valuable feedback, you’ll help us maximize retention, improve member satisfaction, and drive growth.Embody our values as you are often the first point of contact for our community. You’ll play a key role in welcoming and supporting members, helping our foundation grow and strengthen through meaningful interactions.Take full accountability for your tasks, managing your responsibilities with independence and self-discipline. You’ll consistently deliver high-quality results, meet deadlines, and maintain focus while balancing multiple priorities with minimal supervision.About YouYou thrive in a fast-paced environment where you handle ad-hoc projects of varying complexities with ease and enthusiasm.You have experience in customer success, with bonus points if you’ve worked in digital marketing or managed social media channels.Helping people excites you, and you take pride in earning their gratitude through your support and problem-solving skills.You are resourceful and autonomous, always ready to take on new tasks and projects with a problem-solving mindset that ensures everything gets done efficiently.Attention to detail and thoroughness come naturally to you. You enjoy ensuring that every task is completed with care and precision.You relish solving problems—especially the ones that haven't even been noticed yet. Meeting specific needs of different people brings you satisfaction, and you enjoy proactively addressing challenges before they arise.You are fluent in written and spoken English with exceptional writing skills, perfect grammar and an appreciation for the power of tone, brevity and microcopy.You take full ownership of tasks, knowing what it means to see something through to completion and deliver high-quality results.Consistency is key for you, and you stay focused even when tasks become repetitive, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.You are comfortable with tight deadlines and excel at prioritizing tasks to meet them, keeping projects on track.Resilience is one of your strengths, and when things go off-track, you bounce back quickly, offering valuable solutions to move forward.You are highly self-disciplined, thriving in a flat hierarchy where you enjoy the freedom and minimal supervision that comes with it.You are located within a time zone from Europe (UTC+0) to East Asia (UTC+8), making it easy to collaborate with our global team.Bonus PointsYou get bonus points if the art of writing isn’t just a skill, but a passion. You find joy in crafting each sentence with care and precision.You have a genuine curiosity about user experience (UX) design and are interested in how it can improve the quality of life for people around the world.You love making complex concepts accessible, and you enjoy teaching or explaining ideas in a way that’s engaging and easy to understand.You have an exceptional talent for creating structure, and you take pride in organizing processes and tasks in a way that’s efficient and clear.What We Can OfferA highly valued role: Many organizations undervalue admin and support employees, but at IxDF, you’ll be joining one of our most valued and cherished teams. Your contributions will be recognized as essential to our success.Opportunities for growth and impact: At IxDF, you’ll have room to grow professionally while making a real difference. You’ll contribute to projects that directly impact our global community, adding value to the educational experience of thousands of learners.A Global, Purpose-Driven Team – Work alongside passionate professionals from all over the world, united by a common mission.Engagement with a Thriving Global Community – You’ll have the opportunity to support and interact with our local groups, educational partners, and community initiatives. Whether it’s helping organize IxDF Local Groups, facilitating partnerships with educational institutions, or engaging with our vibrant design community, your work will contribute to a stronger, more connected global network of UX professionals and learners.A full-time position, within a fully remote organization. Daily video-based collaboration with your colleagues from elsewhere on the planet, and you’ll get to meet up on team trips every year.A work culture with no fluffy titles, political agendas and corporate drama. Your colleagues value your warm character, your strong work ethic, and the results you deliver. Junior or senior, if you embody old-school virtues of always striving to deliver results, learn and become better every day, you'll thrive at the IxDF.A daily mission to help impact, empower, and enrich the lives of millions of people by creating affordable high-end design education for everyone across the planet. It’ll be yours too.A company where the distance between idea and execution is minimal. We’re a highly agile organization with zero bureaucracy or corporate politics – and with exceptional order and efficiency.A company culture where passion meets high performance and excellence. To help us improve the world (and yourself in the process), you’ll need grit, strong work ethic, long-term thinking, and self-discipline.We thrive because we have a hands-on attitude and a bias towards action as opposed to fluff-filled, unrealistic strategies. You’ll need crisp execution skills yourself and the ability to impress your colleagues with concrete results, just like they’ll impress you.How to Learn More and Apply  To submit your application as well as learn more about our Work Culture and Values, please visit https://www.interaction-design.org/about/careers Please apply as soon as you can—we’re firm believers of “the sooner, the better” and we’re looking forward to working with you! 

Ogle Hall. Photo credit: University of Saskatchewan’s website The Friends of 114 Seminary Crescent have expressed concern regarding the University of Saskatchewan’s recent decision to proceed with the demolition of 114 Seminary Crescent (Lutheran Seminary) and 113 Seminary Crescent (Ogle Hall), as announced in a press release published by the StarPhoenix on April 18, 2025. In response to this decision, the Friends of 114 Seminary Crescent are requesting a pause in demolition and a special meeting with the Board of Governors to discuss other paths forward. The Friends of 114 is a volunteer collective of architects, planners, heritage advocates, community leaders, and citizens committed to preserving and repurposing one of Saskatoon’s most significant heritage assets for the benefit of future generations. The University cited three primary reasons for demolition: finances, safety, and alignment with USask Mission and Strategic Plan. Friends of 114 wishes to offer the following clarifications. In terms of finances, the University claimed “failed attempts to find alternate uses” and cited a new cost estimate of $55–$60 million for restoration. However, Friends of 114 said that as per the Expression of Interest (EOI) guidelines, restoration costs were to be borne by proponents, not the University. Lutheran Seminary. Photo by daryl_mitchell from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada via Wikimedia Commons According to Friends of 114, in November 2024 at a public meeting, USask provided an estimate of at least $26 million for restoration. Independent professional assessments by architects and engineers, following tours of the building, confirmed that the costs would be in the mid-$20s. At least two EOIs submitted strong financial plans demonstrating viability. Respondents were assured the EOI process would be phased, with an initial concept submission (phase 1) followed by detailed budgeting in phase 2. No second phase occurred, and the much higher $55–$60 million estimate was never disclosed to proponents during the process, noted Friends of 114. In terms of safety, the University referenced an order from the Saskatoon Fire Department requiring the building to be repaired and operational by May, and stated that demolition was the only practical and financially viable option for public safety. However, Friends of 114 said that communication with the Saskatoon Fire Department confirmed there were no demolition orders for either building. The Fire Department does not require buildings to be made operational. Both buildings are considered repairable, and current security measures meet requirements to prevent unlawful entry. EOI proponents had also committed immediate resources to enhance safety and security. A letter clarifying this communication was sent to the University’s Board of Governors on April 14, prior to their decision regarding demolition. In terms of alignment with USask’s Mission and Strategic Plan, the University stated that restoration proposals showed “…a lack of purpose for them [restored buildings] that would align with its teaching and research mission” in an email communication received by Friends of 114 members from Greg Fowler, USask’s VP Admin & COO. However, Friends of 114 noted that two known EOIs—one from the Saskatoon Tribal Council for a Centre for Indigenous Excellence, and one from the Saskatchewan Child Advocacy Centre (ASK)—strongly align with USask’s stated goals around inclusivity, Indigenous engagement, reconciliation, and community leadership. According to Friends of 114, both initiatives would strengthen the University’s position as a national leader and leave a lasting, proud legacy.     The post Friends of 114 Crescent oppose USask demolition announcement appeared first on Canadian Architect.