One of the best beat-em-ups ever is 90% off on Steam for a limited time
Castle Crashers is a classic beat-em-up with a charming art style and frantic brawling that you can play solo or with up to four friends online or couch co-op.
Notebookcheck opinion articles
Notebookcheck strives to be an unbiased and independent technology publication with a main focus on objective data oriented reviews, along with comprehensive CPU and GPU benchmark score aggregation and delivering trustworthy, transparently sourced news articles on a daily basis.
Notebookcheck has around 80 experienced contributors from all over the world producing written content, as of 2025. We offer our writers an opportunity to share their views with the readers in the form of opinion articles with the goal of encouraging and shaping public debates, in which all parties are welcome to partake. This is why we have a comments section at the end of each article. Readers are not required to sign up to participate.
Opinion articles only express the individual opinion of the author, and not of that of the entire editorial team. To avoid any possible confusion, these articles are clearly labeled as „comment“ and have a distinct visual style as compared to news articles and reviews.
additional restrictions: Opinion
Ridiculously fun tactical online co-op shooter hits Steam charts with "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews
Door Kickers 2: Task Force North has officially exited early access, and is now live on Steam with nearly 8,000 "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews. This Steam-deck compatible top-down tactical shooter has online co-op and real-time combat.
Alleged Galaxy S25 Edge specs reveal Samsung is making a huge mistake
More technical details of the upcoming Galaxy S25 Edge have been revealed in a leak. The upcoming phone packs flagship features but one of them deserves an upgrade.
🎙️ OpinionCapcom Spotlight: Every highlight from this latest showcase
CheckMag On February 4, Capcom showed off spectacular details from Onimusha, Street Fighter 6, and more! Read on to find what some of the biggest announcements were from this exciting showcase, in our opinion.
🎙️ OpinionMonster Hunter Wilds Showcase debuts new monsters, beta info
CheckMag In February 4's double feature, Capcom showcased juicy (and gory!) new details in the Monster Hunter Showcase, which premiered following the Capcom Spotlight. A brand new spectacular locale was shown alongside details for the upcoming beta, expected later this week.
Nothing's first phone of 2025 has a launch date and a design OnePlus fans are going to love
Nothing has announced the launch date for its first smartphone of the year. Believed to be the Nothing Phone (3), the device, which will be announced during MWC Barcelona, has a design reminiscent of a popular OnePlus phone.
Steam's RTS Fest ends in a day but what is Real Time Strategy?
CheckMag For its first sale of the year, Steam has ‘strategically’ started with the Real Time Strategy Fest (January 20 to January 27). This genre is full of constant frenetic action, and while you may find yourself stressed to begin with, many of today’s RTS games give players the ability to learn on their own time.
🎙️ OpinionA personal visit to Apple and Google in California: The differences could hardly be greater
CheckMag Want to drop by and say hello to Tim Cook at Apple or Sundar Pichai at Google? Of course, visitors to the two tech giants in Cupertino and Mountain View are rather limited in their choice of activities. Nevertheless, the stark differences in public access to the two headquarters are very revealing, even if you know nothing about the "open" Android or "closed" Apple ecosystems.
🎙️ OpinionThe great GPU slowdown
CheckMag As GPUs hit silicon limits, raw performance gains are slowing, shifting focus to architectural innovation and real-world metrics like frame latency. Technologies like AI-driven rendering and 3D stacking promise a new era, where efficiency and smooth gameplay redefine how we measure and achieve GPU performance.
AMD allegedly makes last-min decision to delay RX 9070/XT reveal as GPUs seemingly already in stock at major retailer
During the official reveal of the RDNA 4 GPUs at CES 2025, AMD confirmed a Q1 2025 launch. However, aside from revealing a vague release date target, the company has remained tight lipped on other details. Interestingly, MicroCenter reportedly already has supply of RX 9000 GPUs, making AMD's decision to push the RDNA 4 launch to March 2025 seem like a sudden development.
🎙️ OpinionNintendo Switch 2: Top 5 features the trailer confirmed
CheckMag Nintendo has given fans a glimpse of the highly anticipated Switch 2 in the official announcement video, released January 16. These are the 5 changes the new console will bring that we consider most important.
Exciting news for co-op fans: Big Helmet Heroes launching early February
CheckMag Big Helmet Heroes invites players into an epic 3D beat-'em-up adventure filled with adorable knights and surprising worlds. Launching February 6, 2025, this action-packed game is set to shine in 2-player co-op mode, offering a quest to save the princess and embark on further exciting adventures.
Blast from the Past: Tiger Game.com
CheckMag If you were to ask most tech journalists what they consider the most innovative handheld console, they would say the Nintendo Switch. With its touch screen, portability, internet connectivity and AAA titles, it’s a definite win. If you were to ask me, I would say, “What time period?”. If we’re talking about the 90s, I would say the Tiger Game.com.
🎙️ OpinionThe death of cheap laptop CPUs
CheckMag Budget laptops are dying, because budget laptop chips - real budget chips, not just last generation's leftovers - are already dead.
🎙️ OpinionI played Path of Exile 2 for 161 hours and now I regret every minute of it
CheckMag Path of Exile 2 early access kicked off on December 6. In my experience, some classes, specifically the ranged ones, are objectively better than others. Even then, the game is in desperate need of some tuning, especially for late-game content.
🎙️ OpinionSplit space bar mechanical keyboards are dumb — until they aren't
CheckMag Nobody needs two space bars, but that's not the point of a split space bar design. A split space bar can help reduce finger strain and even increase typing speed and accuracy, as long as you put in the effort to make it work for you, and most people simply aren't willing to put that much thought into it.
🎙️ OpinionThe M4 Mac Mini is the best desktop for most people
CheckMag The new M4 Mac Mini is making waves in both the critical and consumer circles, and for good reason. The tiny desktop is an engineering marvel that boasts plenty of power packed into a tiny (and relatively inexpensive) package. While it has some drawbacks, the 2024 Mac Mini may be the best "bang for the buck" system on the market today.
The $30 Casio AE-1200WH - or the 'Casio Royale' - proves that affordable can be brilliant
CheckMag In a world saturated with expensive, feature-overloaded timepieces, Casio's AE-1200WH is a masterclass in designing affordable yet functional watches. The 2012 model has world time, multiple alarms, a stopwatch, a countdown timer, and a 10-year battery life - all for $30 - which is commendable in this day and age.
Smart fabrics: Improving athletic performance, one drop of sweat at a time
CheckMag Smart fabrics come in many shapes and sizes. Some pieces of smart clothing are impregnated with various sensors for performance tracking and comfort control; other options never get sweaty or have other unique superpowers. This little article focuses on smart clothing made for women.
🎙️ OpinionStale designs: The laptop market needs an Elon Musk style disruption
CheckMag Laptop designs started to feel stale in recent years, with most laptops adopting similar design attributes - most following the example of Apple MacBooks. For this reason: The market needs an Elon Musk disruption!
🎙️ OpinionConsoles might be stagnating, but the gap to PC gaming is only growing wider
CheckMag Halfway through the ninth generation of consoles, it's probably safe to say that much of the gaming audience is unimpressed. Yet the release valve for console gamers that is mainstream PC gaming is growing further and further out of reach - and it's not just about price.
🎙️ OpinionRyujinx and Yuzu have bitten the dust, and Nintendo was right to shut them down
CheckMag Nintendo has a long history of screwing over its fans, whether it’s releasing underpowered hardware, suing fan projects, shutting down services older consoles rely on, and constantly re-selling its back catalogue of games to people who have bought these same titles over and over. But where Ryujinx and Yuzu are concerned, it’s not hard to see why these projects got shut down.
🎙️ OpinionTesla's Optimus isn't Prime yet and that's okay
CheckMag Tesla does not always deliver on its promises, and the latest news on its humanoid robot proves as much. While that's unfortunate, it does not mean Tesla is a bad company.
🎙️ OpinionFujifilm X-M5 is the compact, beginner-friendly X-T30 replacement the overpriced X-T50 should have been
CheckMag Fujifilm divided its community earlier this year when it launched the X-T50, with many calling it overpriced, and others criticising it for failing to adequately appeal to either beginners or experienced hobbyists. The Fujifilm X-M5 looks to be a massive course correction, offering everything a beginner mirrorless camera should at an affordable price.
🎙️ OpinionMissing Fujifilm X-M5 features could be the compact camera's biggest strength
CheckMag The launch of the Fujifilm X-M5 is apparently upon us, and recent leaks and rumours indicate that the upcoming compact APS-C camera will be missing a few key features from its larger counterparts — crucial among them, IBIS and an EVF, however this may be just what we need from a compact camera in 2024.
4 reasons I'll choose the Xiaomi 14T Pro over the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
CheckMag Samsung's Galaxy S24 FE and the Xiaomi 14T Pro will be going head to head in several markets. They both have flagship features and a price to match, but when it comes down to making a choice between the two phones, it is an easy decision.
🎙️ OpinionAMD cannot afford to alienate its laptop partners and needs to step on the gas, now!
CheckMag A recent report by AC Analysis seems to indicate AMD's relationship with its laptop OEM partners isn't exactly a rosy affair. The Santa Clara semiconductor giant is reportedly unable to supply enough CPUs to meet partner demands, resulting in little to no presence of AMD Zen 5 Strix Point laptops at trade shows. However, AMD's plans for 2025 give hope for potential course correction and more options for customers.
Oprah Winfrey interviews AI technology leaders and public in ABC broadcast titled AI and the Future of Us
Oprah Winfrey has interviewed AI technology leaders and the public in an hour-long ABC broadcast titled AI and the Future of Us. The show was created to help the public better understand the benefits and threats of current and emerging AI. The luminaries included Microsoft founder and ex-CEO Bill Gates, and OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman.
🎙️ OpinionBuying a MacBook Pro right now might be a grave mistake - here's why
CheckMag Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro lineup with M4 Pro and M4 Max SoCs is likely to boast serious performance improvements owing to the increased demands of Apple Intelligence, even though any visual changes or OLED displays are unlikely. With the increased possibility of Apple doubling the RAM in its base variant Macs, the upcoming MacBook Pro might be the most bang for buck notebook from Apple in years.
🎙️ OpinionThe iPhone 16 hardware camera button is the best thing to happen to Android smartphone photography in years
CheckMag Apple may be copying a 15-year-old feature with the Camera Control button, but it's almost guaranteed that Samsung and its ilk will copy the feature. This is excellent news for anyone that wants a physical shutter button but doesn't feel like buying an iPhone or, god forbid, a Sony Xperia phone. Already, two Android brands have jumped on the trend, and the rest should follow shortly.
🎙️ OpinionFinally, the iPhone 16 Pro doesn’t discriminate against those who want a smaller screen
CheckMag Historically, the best features have been reserved for the largest screens, regardless of the "Pro" moniker attached to the name. But some manufacturers are waking up to the fact that not everyone wants a monolith in their pocket. Finally, Apple has adopted the same approach with the iPhone 16 Pro meaning that users no longer have to make compromises.
🎙️ OpinionOssby Geo: Broken frame after just a few days of using this lightweight, foldable e-bike made from recycled materials
CheckMag The European made Geo was originally supposed to weigh just 11 kilograms (24 pounds) in total, but came in at around 16 kg (35 pounds) when it was finally delivered to early Kickstarter backers in August of 2024. It's not just the award-winning folding design of this new e-bike from Spanish manufacturer Ossby that stands out amongst its peers of electric folding bikes but also the unusual features and the proposed sustainability of this lightweight city bike in 2024. Unfortunately, the promised aluminum-equivalent strength of the "composite frame" made from recycled materials disappoints - at least in my case. A way too short report of my personal experience with the Ossby Geo. Update: Manufacturer statement included
🎙️ OpinionLenovo's clarification about rumoured new gaming handheld releases still leaves room for Legion Go Lite
CheckMag A Lenovo representative recently clarified rumours about the possibility of the company releasing new Legion Go gaming handhelds. While the company has sought to dampen rumours, its statement still leaves space for the arrival of a smaller Legion Go 'Lite' later this year.
🎙️ OpinionRadeon cards and 3D rendering jobs do not mix. Hobbyists and artists aren't amused about it
CheckMag AMD Radeon products have been fending Nvidia off rather well in recent years, providing better rasterization performance and more VRAM at a lower cost. That’s great for gamers, but what about everyone else? Update: Clarification on the state of ProRender; further information on Nvidia's 3D rendering advantage added
Toyota Motors and its Linux journey
CheckMag I spoke with Brian R Lyons of TMNA Toyota Motor Corp North America about the implementation of Linux in Toyota and Lexus infotainment systems. Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) is a version of Linux being used by several automotive manufacturers.
🎙️ OpinionAges like fine wine - How good is the mobile RTX 2070 in 2024?
CheckMag Turing, the GPU generation that delivered upscaling and ray tracing, has now all but fallen into obscurity as compared to its still widely used Pascal and Ampere brethren. The desktop RTX 2070 may have been middling at best even at launch, but its laptop counterpart fully deserves a bit of a spotlight. Let's try and look into how it managed to remain relevant for much longer than some expected.
🎙️ OpinionXiaomi’s Redmi Pad SE 4G is a misnomer
CheckMag With the Redmi Pad SE 4G, Xiaomi breaks the tradition of what a cellular variant of a tablet should be. However, it can still make corrections.
Cheaper ARM laptop chips could be a really big deal
CheckMag Lost in the Snapdragon X Elite hype is the prospect of lower-end Qualcomm laptop chips taking the market by storm as these hold so much more promise for a true revolution than their costlier counterparts do.
🎙️ OpinionWhen exactly did web browsers turn into helicopter parents?
CheckMag We're sorry, but unfortunately NBC Notebookprotect Safe Browsing filter doesn't recognise this blurb. This article might try to do unpredictable things to your computer.
Intel's own blunders have it backed into a corner as AMD Zen 5 chips near
CheckMag Intel Raptor Lake i9 chip owners are plagued by system crashes that can be traced back to the chips' excessive voltage and wattage. AMD might seize the opportunity with the release of Zen 5 and while Arrow Lake and Lunar Lake are coming to try and fight back, what difference will it make if Intel's reputation is ruined by then?
Intel is far from being out and has all it takes to make a comeback
CheckMag The deck is not fully stacked against Intel yet. The company still has tricks up its sleeve. Some of those are coming onboard Lunar Lake family chips which might prove enough for Intel to triumph in the laptop segment of the market.
🎙️ OpinionFirst Cybertruck rollover accident highlights flawed Tesla marketing — maybe a truck shouldn't cosplay as a sports car
CheckMag The first recorded Cybertruck rollover has emerged out of Vicksburg, Mississippi. While it looks like simple driver error or circumstance were most likely the cause, Tesla's lofty claims about the Cybertruck's low centre of gravity may give drivers a false sense of security.
🎙️ OpinionOnePlus and the 2MP camera curse
CheckMag OnePlus's line of affordable flagship phones is known for offering mostly high-end features at a more pocket-friendly price than its main flagship series. Unfortunately, OnePlus keeps shooting itself in the foot by employing a practically useless 2 MP sensor in its rear camera system.
🎙️ OpinionGive us real SFF, Nvidia, you cowards.
CheckMag 2.5 slots? Twelve inches? You call that small form factor, Jensen Huang? Absolutely not. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!
🎙️ OpinionMicrosoft's Xbox gaming handheld will fail unless someone else makes it
CheckMag Microsoft, please let someone else make a portable Xbox! Fans have been clamoring for a handheld for years now, and there is a likelihood one is in the pipeline. However, Microsoft is a better software company than a hardware one, so best just leave it to the pros.
🎙️ OpinionNikon Z6 III proves mirrorless camera breakthroughs a thing of the past — why that's okay
Nikon has officially launched the Z6 III, and, while it is certainly a marvellously capable middleweight camera with impressive features, the minor upgrades across the board are indicative of a problem. Digital cameras are no longer advancing in leaps and bounds, as they had in the early days of the mirrorless revolution, but that means there has never been a better time to buy a camera.
🎙️ OpinionGaming handhelds: better than ever but don't buy one now
CheckMag Between staunch discounts, plentiful competition, and the recent release of the Steam Deck OLED, there has never been a better time to buy a gaming handheld. However, imminent new releases for the Asus ROG Ally, Nintendo Switch, and new CPU offerings from AMD and Intel mean that waiting just a little longer may be a better option for those looking for maximum performance.
🎙️ OpinionThanks to the PlayStation VR2 PC adapter, one of the best PC VR headsets is also the cheapest
CheckMag The PlayStation VR2 PC adapter makes the PlayStation VR 2 headset compatible with PC and Steam VR. The hardware spec gives players an experience that is on par with the Valve Index and arguably better than the Meta Quest 3 for a significantly cheaper price.
🎙️ OpinionThe EU's updated right to repair rules are the breath of fresh air consumers and the planet need
CheckMag The EU has a solid history of making decisions that actually benefit the consumer and the EU Right to Repair Directive (R2RD) may finally curb environmentally damaging and anti consumer practices employed by tech companies to keep their revenue streams flowing.
4 underrated cameras that blow the flawed Panasonic Lumix S9 away
CheckMag It's quite obvious by now that the Panasonic Lumix S9 is a controversial camera. Fortunately, if you're after a small, powerful camera, there are some hidden gems out there that walk all over Panasonic's latest compact full-frame body — some even costing less than $1,000.
Add as a preferred source on Google
Loading Comments
From the Commodore C64 to modern electric vehicles: J. Simon Leitner has followed the digital transformation since the early days of the home computer era. As a co-founder of Notebookcheck, he has been applying the expertise gained from his studies at the TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) to fact-based and independent hardware analyses since 2006. With over 20 years of experience as a technology expert, his focus today is on laptops, electric mobility, environmental technology, and the intersection of construction technology and smart home architecture.