Issue #49: Peanut Butter & Chocolate – November/December 2020 (Patreon)

With nearly 50 different issues under our belts, we've had a few oddball theme names here and there -- but I think "Peanut Butter & Chocolate" just might be our weirdest.

Then again, maybe not? Maybe you guessed at our intention from the start with the tasty memories that combination of confections calls to mind. The smooth (or crunchy!) nutty bliss of peanut butter . . . sometimes I'll just eat it by the spoonful. The rich decadence of chocolate -- any dessert that includes it becomes an instant favorite of mine. Alone, each one is wonderful.

But together! When you blend the two into a single dish . . . it's culinary perfection. It's my favorite food combo on the planet, as the two together become an all-new thing that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Video games sometimes strive for that same mash-up magic. Not in the same way (please don't lick your Switch cartridges), but when some games are being designed, their creators intentionally set out to bring two great, separate gameplay concepts together into a single new experience. They smash disparate genres together to see what happens. Or they take two brands that previously established their own identities alone and have them cross over and clash in a new game that serves as a sequel to two separate series.

That's the gaming industry phenomenon that we're turning our attention to in this NF issue. Our titular central feature, Peanut Butter & Chocolate, looks back across some of the greatest genre mash-ups we've seen over the last few decades. We then highlight where two different game styles are coming together in one title all throughout the rest of the issue too -- you'll see PB&C banners highlighting which genres are being combined in Download, Previews, Reviews and Retro too. And our cover game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, happily and serendipitously falls under this same umbrella as well -- it once again mashes up the Legend of Zelda franchise with the Dynasty Warriors brand, but more than that, its gameplay is more of a fusion than ever before. It's no mere Musou!

Finally . . . full disclosure . . . I may have been eating a little too much peanut butter & chocolate over the last several months to help myself deal with the stress of this year. (Please see the inevitable result of that behavior, my quest to begin exercising with Ring Fit Adventure, in the Reviews section this time.)

Print subscribers, your issues are in production now and will be mailed to you within a week. Please continue to have patience as delivery times are still fluctuating amidst the ongoing pandemic, as well as the United States election -- these issues will be trying to get to you at the same time as millions of absentee ballots are trying to reach their destinations as well. 

Digital subscribers, I'll endeavor to have your PDF download links delivered tomorrow: Wednesday, October 21.

That's 49 NF issues in the books, now! Stay tuned for the big NF #50 coming next time!

~ Lucas M. Thomas